My Once In A Lifetime
by fictionxvelvet
Summary: "You bring out the best in me, and I need you. I want you every moment of every day for the rest of my life." Austin and Ally have been together for seven years. Now both 24, Austin is finally ready to ask Ally a very important question. Join Austin and Ally and their friends as they plan the duo's special day. Auslly Engagement/Wedding. Vows.
1. Chapter 1: Surprises

_**I've always thought Austin and Ally's wedding vows would be the most romantic thing ever. I went to a wedding recently which is what plays as inspiration for this new story. So I hope you enjoy this and hope you don't get too feelsy over Auslly. ;) 3**_

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Ally Dawson now lived in a quaint apartment in New York. Austin didn't live far from her, in the same city in fact just to be close to her. Her apartment was large and relatively modern, and she had decorated the walls with pictures, awards, records and mementoes of her music career. She and Austin were both superstars in the business, and the public had grown to accept how well they worked together when they weren't forced separate from each other's company. They both needed each other. Austin needed Ally for her warmth and kindness as well as her song writing abilities, and Ally needed him to be her confidence booster, he brought out the best in her and without him she felt shy and insecure.

As Ally placed a diamond and pearl earring in her right ear piercing, she saw a picture of her and Austin through the mirror. The picture was from a photo shoot they had done on the coast of their home town in Miami. In the picture, Austin had his arm around Ally's waist on the cliff as they both looked toward the camera, with the beautiful Miami Beach cliff in the background.

Ally missed Miami. She had great memories from her childhood and teen years there, especially as it had seen the beginning of her and Austin's career. Now and then she and Austin would visit Miami to see their family, but unfortunately neither of their old best friends were there anymore. After Dez had completed his film degree in LA, he had been making numerous short films and independent films which would be showcased at various film festivals around the country. As a result he made LA his home and still shared a strong relationship with Carrie. Trish now also lived in Los Angeles but far from Dez. She had begun her own management company and had been managing many new talents. When Austin and Ally went to Los Angeles for either concerts, publicity, conference or media calls, they would always visit their best friends.

But now, Ally's best friend, boyfriend, partner in every way possible was Austin Moon. They never parted again, after learning from previous experiences of how it affects both of them. She grinned at the picture again, thinking about how excited she was to see him in only a matter of minutes.

On this evening, Ally had chosen to wear a sleeveless yellow skin tight dress with a gold belt in the middle, which came down just above her knees. She pulled on a pair of white strapped heels and placed the matching diamond and pearl necklace around her neck. She let her hair hang loose with soft curls which now sat just at the top of her chest. She then pulled on her white winter coat for it was almost always chilly in New York. Finally feeling ready, she grabbed her bag and headed down to the ground floor through the lift. She was expecting to see Austin standing there but was taken aback to see a man standing in front of the car park door.

"Ally Dawson?" he asked politely. Ally raised one of her eyebrows.

"Yes?" she replied. The man smiled.

"You have an express service to your destination this evening." He said with a smile as he held the door open for her. Ally shook her head with a light smile.

"You must be mistaken …" but she was cut off.

"No, Austin Moon has organised this for you. This way please." He repeated, letting a dumbstruck Ally through the door. When she reached outside, Ally laughed lightly at the long stretched limousine sitting outside the building. She looked back at what she now understood as her chauffer, as he smiled and gestured for her to head down the steps. He followed after her carefully and as she approached the door he opened the backseat door for her.

"Thank you," she said politely as she hopped into the limousine. As they left the building, Ally looked around the limousine and shook her head. She had been in many limousines but never by surprise like this.

"So am I allowed to know where you're taking me?" Ally asked.

"I'm not allowed to say, Miss Dawson. I guess you'll have to be surprised." He said as he kept his eyes on the road. Ally shook her head with a smile and gazed upon the glorious New York city lights. It was no Miami, but it was still so very beautiful.

They finally arrived at the Newark Airport which left Ally extremely confused. She was expecting a restaurant, but the airport … what in the world was Austin planning? The chauffer opened the door for Ally again and Ally just stared around.

"What is going on?" she practically blurted out. Almost on cue, a very familiar voice came from behind her.

"Surprise," Austin called at just a loud enough tone. Ally turned around to see her favourite blonde smiling and looking rather dashing in black jeans, a red tie and a plain navy blue blazer. Before Ally could say anything, he pulled her in for an embrace and Ally closed her eyes, enjoying his touch. When he let go he placed one hand in Ally's, and used his free hand to shake the hand of the chauffer.

"Thank you so much, man." He said sincerely.

"My pleasure, sir." He said. Ally looked at him.

"Yes, thank you so much, though I still have no idea what's going on!" she turned to look at Austin. The chauffer laughed lightly.

"Good night, ma'am." He said before heading back to the limousine.

Ally looked up at Austin as he drove away and he pulled her close.

"So, are you gonna tell me what's going on?" she prompted as he only pulled her tighter.

"Can't a guy surprise his girlfriend once in a while?" he asked openly. Ally widened her eyes and mouth with disbelief as he laughed at her reaction.

"He can …" but he cut her off.

"Good, then let's get in." he said, placing his arm around her waist and leading her inside the airport.

As they went to check in, Ally bugged her eyes out to see Austin with two passports in his hand. Austin noticed her reaction and smiled.

"How did you get that?" she asked.

"I snuck in to your apartment." He said with a cheeky smile. Ally shook her head trying to hide her smile.

"You know, some people call that breaking and entering …" she reminded him. Austin wasn't moved, he just placed his arm around her again.

"Really? I like to call it romantic." He said kissing the top of her head. Ally breathed in and they were called to the check in counter.

Austin still didn't let Ally look at the destination on the boarding pass, in fact he held on to both of them as they immediately approached the very isolated gate. Ally looked around, confused.

"Where is everybody?" she asked. Austin handed both the boarding passes to the lady and Austin smirked at Ally.

"Yeah, we're going on our own private flight." He replied, taking her hand and leading her down the tunnel.

"What!?" she managed to get out as they approached the plane. Austin winked at her as they headed into the high class cabin.

The flight was very peaceful and very exquisite. They indulged in wine and over two hours later, they had arrived.

"Ready?" he asked, unfastening his seat belt.

"Yeah, I just have no idea what I need to be ready for." Ally said. Austin took her hand in his own again and led her out of the plane.

"Trust me, you'll love it." He said with a beautiful smile. And Ally did trust him. And when her hand was in his like this, she didn't have any concern for the rest of the world. They were together, and that was the most important thing.

"Oh, and you won't need this." he said, taking Ally's coat from her hand and handing it to the lady.

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_**So where do you think Austin has taken Ally? ;) and hope you enjoyed this! Leave reviews!**_


	2. Chapter 2: A Private Proposal

**Thanks for the lovely reviews so far. I've been seeing heaps of people on Twitter and Instagram trending the #AusllyWedding, which I think is so cute! Are you guys looking forward to the season 4 premiere in January!? Ahhh  
Disclaimer: I do not own _Without You, Stuck on You, You Can Come To Me _or _I Think About You. _All rights belong to respectful owners. **

**Hope you enjoy this chapter. :)**

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Ally could slightly feel where they were. It was familiar, and it was too good to be true. When she finally saw the 'Welcome to Miami, Florida' sign, she almost burst into tears.

"Miami … You brought us home." Ally said with mist in her eyes, looking up at Austin. Austin smiled at her. Ally couldn't help it. She stood on her toes as best she could in her high heels and wrapped her arms around her favourite person in the whole world. She kissed him all around his face making him giggle but kiss her right back just as playfully. Ally laughed and steered away from him, still having her arm under his and around his waist.

"Come on. There are some places we gotta visit." he said. Ally nodded and brushed his jaw with the palm of her hand as they headed out to their home town. Austin led Ally to another black limousine and gestured for her to get in. Ally shook her head with a knowing smile. Boy was she getting pampered.

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Hand in hand, Austin and Ally walked toward the mall they had spent almost every day of their high school lives. They walked on a very familiar path, and soon Ally paused in her tracks. Austin turned back to her and saw the concern in Ally's eyes.

"What is it?" he asked. Ally looked up at him and bit her lip.

"Are we going past Sonic Boom?" she responded in question, and Austin lifted their locked fingers to his chest.

"Not if you don't want to." he assured her. Ally looked in the direction of the store she grew up in and almost cried then and there itself. But something compelled her to see it again. When Ally had initially left Miami, her dad had tried to manage the store without her and hire new staff since he hadn't had the heart to sell the business. In recent years, he had put the store under new management but it still remained as Sonic Boom, which he still owned. Lester Dawson had little to do with the store, and it pained Ally to think of a new Sonic Boom - it was almost like her home in Miami itself.

"No, I think we should ..." Ally said quietly. She was extremely sentimental and emotional about Sonic Boom, but she still wanted to see what it looked like.

"Are you sure? You don't have to." Austin reassured her. Ally nodded.

"I'm sure. Come on, let's go see where it all started, huh?" Ally said with mist in her eyes and a smile on her lips. Austin kissed her hand and gripped on to it tightly as they headed toward Sonic Boom.

The interior of Sonic Boom had completely changed. It was modern and funky, and while it looked great, Ally couldn't help but see a young Austin and Ally running around the store. Playing at the piano, hugging near the register, walking up to the practice room, playing recklessly with instruments, dancing under disco lights and watching every TV appearance they had ever been a part of on the screen. The store was locked shut already, but it was probably better this way. They stood straight in front of the store, and Ally couldn't help it. She cried. Placing her left hand over her eyes and leaning toward Austin, he practically cradled her in his arms, looking at the ground and letting Ally sob into his chest. He hated to see her cry, but knew how much this place meant to her, and him too.

"Hey, you shouldn't be sad, this is where it all started for us. Our lives changed in this very store, and maybe, someday, it will change someone else's life too." Austin comforted her, rocking her from side to side. Ally lifted herself up a little to speak.

"I know, but it's just that, like you said, our lives changed right here. We've come so far, and I wouldn't have been able to do any of it if it wasn't for you ..." she said with a promising smile. Austin kissed her forehead.

"I'm so glad I played those damn drums that day." Austin said quietly with a laugh. Ally laughed right back.

"No respect for the Ally signs." she teased.  
"Hey, I taught you how to have fun." Austin defended himself. Ally nodded with a sarcastic smile.

"I so did! Besides, I learnt a little something from you too." Austin reminded her. Ally raised her eyebrow.  
"Oh? And what might that be?" Ally prompted him.

"How to pick up a girl who weighs about as much as a feather." Austin replied. Ally scrunched her eyebrows, confused.

"How did I teach you-" but before she could finish, Austin lifted her off the ground and carried her by the waist and legs, making Ally squeal. Ally narrowed her eyes at Austin who had now begun walking away from Sonic Boom. She shook her head.

"Seriously? _This_ is all I taught you?" Ally questioned. Austin shook his head with a smile.

"I'll never be able to explain how much you've taught me." Austin replied. Ally widened her eyes then and brushed his hair between her fingers. They engaged in eye contact for about two minutes. At times, this was how they communicated with one another. In one look, they could say a million things - getting lost in each other's eyes and having little regard for the rest of the world.

After another moment, Austin put her down on the ground, as Ally broke into a smile and shook her head.

"Pop stars." she commented with a sigh. Austin winked at her and curved his arm for Ally to link her own in.

"Well, how about some dinner with this pop star?" Austin suggested. Ally laughed toward the ground.

"Sure, I mean, I'm crazy about pop stars." Ally said with a flirtatious grin.

* * *

As they neared the beach club, which had been slightly redecorated since they had last visited, Ally looked up at Austin.

"Why did you bring me all the way back to Miami?" she asked, as they headed down the familiar wooden stairs and toward a table.

"I miss it here, it reminds me of a really great time in my life." He replied. Ally looked around the club.

"Yeah, I never even liked the beach until you came into my life." Ally said, tugging on his arm. Austin smiled and pulled out a chair for her.

They ate a simple dinner, conversing and reminiscing about their past. Soon, Ally sighed.

"What is it?" Austin asked. Ally shook her head.

"I don't know … being at the beach club just makes me miss the gang more. It feels weird being here without them, you know?" Ally confessed. Austin placed his arm around Ally and she held the hand perched on her shoulder.

"Hey, I'm still here. And I'll always be here." Austin said. Ally kissed his cheek.

"Yeah, you better," she said, sinking her head into his shoulder.

They got up and Austin again took Ally's hand in his own.

"Well, it's been a terrific evening." Ally said as they headed back up the stairs. Austin side glanced at her.

"Oh, but it's not over yet. I've got one more surprise still planned." Austin said with a smile. Ally beamed at him with a look of disbelief.

"_Another surprise_? Austin, what could you possibly do after this?" Ally asked. Austin didn't look at her, he just led her back to the limousine.

"You'll see." He said, as they hopped back in.

Ally looked out the window of the long black shiny car and saw a very familiar stadium. She couldn't believe it. It was the same stadium that Austin had performed at when he was just 16, about to go on his first tour. And, it was the stadium where Ally had first performed before ten thousand people.

Hand in hand, they walked to the stadium, which seemed to be empty by Ally's collection, and as they entered her assumptions were correct. The entire place was completely empty with only the stage lights to guide their way toward it. When they reached the very front row, Austin released Ally's hand from his grip and just stared at her.

"Austin, what is all this… Have you got a show here soon or something?" Ally asked, looking from him to their surroundings. Austin smiled.

"Yeah, right now." He said. And with that he headed for the steps and ran up to the centre of the stage where there appeared to be a guitar. Ally looked at him in confusion.

"Hit it." he called out. Almost instantaneously, a flood of fairy lights covering the entire arena shined. Ally looked around in disbelief. It was such a beautiful sight. As she gawked, she heard Austin strumming some very familiar chords on his guitar. She looked back, mist forming in her eyes.

"Ally, this is where it all began for the both of us. This is where I realised I wanted you at every concert, every show, everything I ever did. Without you, I'd be nowhere." He said as he strummed. As he looked down to the strings cueing himself in, Ally clasped her fingers and held them near her chest.

"_Last summer we met,  
__we started as friends  
I can't tell you how it all happened_

_Then Autumn it came  
We were never the same  
Those nights everything felt like magic  
_

Ally smiled, thinking about the first time they had both realised they liked each other more than just friends. She thought back to how they met, how they felt sparks every time their hands touched on the ivory of the piano, how they would work for hours in the practice room and never be bored of each other's company. They were so meant for each other.

_And I wonder if you miss me too  
If you don't here's the one thing  
That I wish you knew  
_

_I think about you  
Every morning when I open my eyes  
I think about you  
Every evening when I turn out the lights  
I think about you  
Every moment, every day of my life  
You're on my mind all the time it's true ..._

As he strummed, he was so perfectly able to blend two different songs together, and Ally's heart burned in her chest as a new tune enthralled her mind. She couldn't help but practically grin from ear to ear as one of the cutest, sweetest songs Austin had ever performed now filled the very empty stadium - just for her.

_So forgive me if I'm doing this all wrong_  
_I'm trying my best in this song_  
_To tell you, what can I do?_  
_I'm stuck on you_

Ally laughed as he playfully winked at her, still trying to fight back her tears.

_I'm hoping, you feel what I do_  
_'Cause I told mom about you_  
_I told her, what can I do?_  
_I'm stuck on you_

_And like the night sticks to the moon_

Austin looked up the lights in the centre of the stadium, and then turned to beautiful brunette standing in the middle of the floor near the stage.

_Girl, I'm stuck on you_

_Oooh, ooh, yeah_

And again, he transitioned two completely different tunes together beautifully and looked at Ally with the most sincere stare in his eyes, tears again forming in her own.

_If you wanna cry, I'll be your shoulder_  
_If you wanna laugh, I'll be your smile_  
_If you wanna fly, I will be your sky_  
_Anything you need that's what I'll be_  
_You can come to me_

As Austin now strummed again, Ally could make out the tune he was blending into. And it made her knees weak. Austin looked at her as he lengthened the chords on and on, breaking into a gorgeous smile.

"You're probably wondering what I'm doing singing these songs, right?" he prompted, still strumming the sentimental tune. Ally shook her head, wiping away tears from her face.

"Ally, come up here." He said so warmly. Ally wiped away some of her tears and walked up the stairs to stand next to Austin as he strummed. They kept staring at one another, but soon Austin looked away from her and down toward the stage floor, fearing he would cry.

"_There's no way I can make it without you, do it without you, be here without you … It's no fun when you're doing a solo, with you it's like whoa, yeah and I know, I ….. own this dream_ …" he sang as he strummed. There was no stopping the tears now. Ally remembered in the first year they had known each other, how Austin had sung this very song at his first album release party and convinced Ally to stay in Miami. He was only a friend at that time, but Ally had always felt weak when he sang for her and about her. It made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. Like they were the only two people on the planet. And boy did it feel like that at this very moment.

"_Cause I got you with me …. There's no way I can make it without you, do it without you, be here without …. You …_" he drifted off. Ally was in a flood of tears now. Austin was looking so sincere and focused as he placed the guitar against a stand.

"Why would you sing that song? You know how much it means to me." She said in between tears.

"Which one?" he asked with a sincere smile, trying to hold back his emotions.

"All of them.." she explained in a whisper between tears. Austin brushed away some hair from her face held her jaw for a moment.

"Yeah …" he said, and without another word, Austin bent down on one knee. Ally, watching this move couldn't help but cry a little more, placing her right hand over her nose and mouth, but Austin took her left hand and placed it firmly in his.

"Ally, when we first met I knew we were opposites. But as time went on I realised that that's what makes us perfect together. You bring out the best in me, and I need you. I want you every moment of every day for the rest of my life. Ally …" He drifted off. Ally smiled through her sobs as he took a small black velvet box out of his pocket, and opened the lid to reveal a beautiful diamond ring.

"Ally Dawson, will you marry me?" he finally proposed. Ally finally beamed and tried to stop her tears as best she could.

"Yes." She replied. Austin grinned from ear to ear, placing the ring on her finger and so affectionately kissed it. Ally held his face in her hands and as he got up she cried again and kissed him full on the mouth. Austin lifted her off the ground and Ally wiggled her feet as he held her in this position, still kissing so warmly and passionately. When he finally parted from her lips, he banged his head into hers and they both smiled, looking down toward one another.

"You just made me the happiest superstar on this earth." He whispered. Ally kissed his nose.

"I love you." She whispered back. And without hesitation, Austin kissed her again.

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**So there you have it. Austin Moon and Ally Dawson are finally engaged! This is the way I've always thought the proposal would pan out. It had to include song. That's what they're all about, right? ;) How do you guys picture it? And leave reviews on what you thought of Austin's proposal! I love to read your thoughts and feedback! 3**


	3. Chapter 3: The Beach

**How are you all enjoying the story so far? This chapter is extremely short and fluffy but I just love that. Haha.**

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As Austin and Ally walked back to the limousine, Ally didn't let go of Austin's arm. In fact, she hadn't even really stopped staring or smiling at him. After a few minutes, Austin turned to her and laughed.

"You know if you stare at me any longer, you're gonna hammer a nail right through my head." He said with a laugh. Ally shook her head and laughed back.

"I can't help it. Tonight could not have been any more perfect. You're just, you're something else Austin Moon." She said. Austin looked down with a smile.

"You deserve it … and now I am engaged to the most amazing girl on this planet." Austin said, kissing the hand he was holding. Ally beamed.

"I'm engaged. Engaged!" she repeated, finally looking at the ring. She still couldn't see it in the darkness, but she didn't care. All that mattered was that she was finally promised to the man of her life.

Austin laughed.

"You wanna scream it out to the rest of Miami?" he suggested. Ally narrowed her eyes to the side and was suddenly very aware of the distant sound of ocean waves.

"Not here." She hinted, looking from the ocean to him. Austin raised his eyebrow.

"I'm not going to the top of the cliff at this time of night." Austin said, letting go of her hand and lifting up his hands in surrender. Ally shook her head.

"No, let's take a walk on the beach." She said. Austin breathed out in relief and smiled. He looked at his watch quickly before turning back to Ally.

"Sure. But we have to be at the airport in an hour." He said. And with that they both got back in the limousine and they headed for the beach.

The pair walked hand in hand, carrying their shoes in their free hands, and walked along the ocean shore.

"Wow, we spent so many years on this beach, but never took such a romantic walk along it like this." Ally commented as Austin placed his arm around her waist.

"Yeah, that's cause you taught me how to be romantic over the years." He said, kissing her temple. Ally gasped in disbelief and began walking backwards in front of him.

"Well, let's not forget whose idea this was." Ally reminded him with a smirk. Austin pressed his tongue into the back of his teeth and squint his eyes for a second.

"Ah, but let's not forget who flew you out to Miami, took you to the beach club, hired out the concert hall, and oh yeah that's right …" but Ally cut him off by covering his mouth with the palm of her hand. As Austin spoke he kept pulling her close into his space until Ally shushed him.

"Okay, you win." She said. Austin laughed through her hand and took it away from his mouth. He placed her hand behind her back and neared his face close to hers. He took this opportunity to kiss her again, and Ally wrapped her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss. Ally giggled as she let go and Austin brought her left hand to his vision to see the ring.

Ally looked at the ring as well and finally saw it in the moonlight. The ring was a skinny band at the bottom, but grew larger as it reached the stone, and had intricate floral designs half way around it made by small diamonds. The diamond was large and so beautiful Ally couldn't believe it.

"Austin, it's just so beautiful." she said with glow in her voice.

"Yeah, it looks more beautiful on you." He whispered. Ally placed her hands around his neck and dragged them down to his shoulder blades with a sigh.

"I just, I'm so happy I could scream." Ally said, shaking her head with a smile. Austin laughed.

"Hey, there's no one here," he pointed out, looking down the shore. "Be my guest." He said. Ally laughed and turned to the ocean and gazed at the moonlight.

"I'm engaged!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, spanning her arms out as wide as possible. Austin wrapped his hands around her stomach and swayed her.

"I'm engaged!" she yelled again just as Austin picked her up and spun her around, making Ally scream. As he slowly brought Ally back down to the ground, Austin still held a firm grip on her waist and bumped his forehead into hers.

"I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you." Ally whispered, her eyes closed. Austin kissed the side of her nose and sunk his face into her hair, bringing her close into his space. Ally hugged him back and it felt like time was passing so beautifully as they continued be lost in each other's embrace. Soon, Austin gently let go and Ally let out a sigh as she opened her eyes to gaze into his gorgeous ones.

"I guess we better head on back." Austin whispered, his forehead still against hers. Ally sighed again, not sure how she felt about leaving Miami all over again. Part of her wanted to stay with Austin on the beach and never let the night turn into day.

"I guess," Ally gave in as Austin took her hand in his and started heading up to the road.

"You can't say it, can you?" Ally asked, after a moment of staring up at him. Austin scrunched his eyebrows, confused.

"Say what?" he asked back.  
"You can't say that New York is home." Ally pushed, obviously feeling what she was saying. Austin looked down the beach and thought about what she was saying.

"I mean don't get me wrong, I love living in New York … but Miami is …" he broke off, lost in the sound of the ocean waves.

"Just home." Ally finished for him. Austin turned to her quickly and paused them in their tracks.

"Ally, when I realised that I love you, I learnt that home became you, and not a place." Austin said. Ally smiled, unable to fathom how sweet it sounded coming from his lips. She let out a quiet laugh.

"You know that's so cute I think we need to make it a song lyric." Ally commented with a cheeky smile. Austin pulled her close again and studied her entire face.

"I could write a whole song about you and how you make me feel." Austin stated rather blankly, just staring at every detail on her face. Ally couldn't resist it, she had to kiss him again. She pulled on his shirt collar and crashed her lips against his, which only caused Austin to deepen the kiss. And right there, on the Miami Beach, everything was still. Everything was perfect.

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**So hope you enjoyed this fluff. Hehe. I need your help guys! What kind of wedding venue do you think would be best for Austin and Ally? I was thinking the Miami Beach, but I also love the forest look too. Leave suggestions and opinions please! And of course review! 3 **


	4. Chapter 4: Fiancés

**Hi, long time no update! Sorry. From here on we will joining Austin and Ally as they prepare for their wedding, meeting new friends, struggles, and sharing their love. Feels like I am just planning their wedding but I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

When Ally woke up the next morning, she immediately grinned from ear to ear, seeing the beautiful diamond ring perched on her finger. Engaged. Ally Dawson was finally engaged to Austin Moon – the man of her dreams.

She realised she should probably call all of her friends to tell them the good news. At that moment, a million things started rushing through her mind about their wedding. Who would attend? Who would be part of the bridal party? Where would the wedding be held? Where would be the most suitable for everybody to attend? What colours would be best? What flowers would look best?

Ally shook her head, already developing a headache from the long list as she sat up in her bed. She grabbed her phone and immediately scrolled through her contacts to retrieve Trish's number. Trish was still Ally's best friend, they would video chat and call each other almost every day. She couldn't think of any one more perfect to be her maid of honour than Trish.

Ally held her phone in mid-air and waited for an answer.

"Hey Ally!" Trish said from the other end. It sounded as if Trish was speaking freely in the kitchen, with her phone sitting on the bench or something.  
"Hey, what are you making?" Ally asked, suddenly intrigued.  
"Pancakes. One of Austin's songs came on the radio this morning and I had such a craving for them." Trish replied with a laugh. Ally laughed back. There was a silence for a moment.  
"You have something to tell me, don't you?" Trish asked with a very fathomable grin. Ally smirked.  
"How did you know?" Ally asked playfully.  
"I just know these things." Trish said proudly. Ally smiled again but still didn't say anything.  
"Well? Are you gonna tell me now or am I gonna have to bombard your apartment in New York?" Trish charged. Ally took in a deep breath.  
"Austin proposed to me last night." Ally said with the biggest smile on her face. Ally jumped at the sound of a pan hitting the kitchen floor on the other end of the line.  
"Trish! Are you okay?" Ally called into the phone. There was a sound of hustle and bustle of pans on Trish's line.

"Yea- Yeah I'm fine! Ally, did you just say Austin proposed to you!?" Trish practically beamed in excitement. Ally held her face with the palm of her hand, hiding her grin.  
"Yes! Trish, I'm engaged!" Ally repeated. Trish laughed with excitement.  
"Oh my god, Ally! I'm so happy for you! Come on, spill. Every detail right now. How did he do it?" Trish asked. Ally leaned up against her bed head and sighed.

"Oh, Trish it was so perfect you wouldn't believe it. Okay, so last night there was a limousine outside my apartment building, and the driver took me straight to the airport." Ally said.  
"The airport!? He took you out of state to propose? Where did he take you?" Trish blurted out. Ally laughed.  
"Trish … he hired a private plane and flew us back home – to Miami." Ally went on. Trish gasped.  
"He took you back home?" Trish gathered with emotion in her tone.  
"Yeah, and we walked around the mall … the beach club, and finally he took me to the first concert hall we performed at in 2013." Ally paused.  
"Well don't stop now! Then what happened?" Trish prompted.  
"Well, the entire stadium was covered in fairy lights, and then he got up on the stage and that's where he proposed. It was just so sweet and perfect, Trish."  
"Ally … that sounds so cute. I'm just so happy for both of you! Now we get to plan the wedding, the engagement party ahhhh!" Trish practically screamed, jumping up and down. Ally laughed.  
"Yeah, and Trish? I'd like to ask you to do me a tremendous favour." Ally said.  
"Yesssss?" Trish said with a huge smile, knowing what Ally would ask her.  
"Will you be my maid of honour?" Ally asked.  
"No." Trish said. Ally gawked.  
"What!?" Ally screamed. Trish burst into laughter.  
"Of course I will! Oh my god this is so exciting!" Trish beamed. Ally laughed. At that moment, she felt her phone buzz again and looked at it to see another call waiting for her answer.

"Okay, Trish I'm getting another call, I'll call you back later, okay?" Ally said.  
"Yeah, talk to you later."

Ally pressed answer with a glowing grin on her face. A beautiful picture of Austin flashing his cutest smile sat on her screen as she held the phone to the ear.

"Hello?" Ally said into the phone.  
"Hey gorgeous." A deep voice strummed in her ear. Ally closed her eyes and lay down on her stomach, facing the foot of the bed.  
"Hi, honey. How are you?" Ally asked, almost feeling as if she were floating on a cloud.

"Good. I had a dream about you last night." - Austin  
"Yeah? What happened?" – Ally asked, twisting her hair between her fingers.  
"We got married on that cliff we took a photo shoot at a couple of years ago – well it looked like that place anyway." Austin described. Ally looked up at the framed picture from the very photo shoot Austin was talking about.

"That is a really beautiful place." Ally put in.  
"That was a hint, Alls. Where do you wanna get married?" Austin asked with a short laugh. Ally looked up, thinking. She had been planning her wedding since she was twelve. But she didn't want to take control of the wedding entirely by her choice. Austin had to have an equal say as well.

"Well, that's not entirely up to me. You need to give a suggestion too." Ally pointed out.  
"I don't care where we get married. As long as we get married." Austin said. Ally sighed. It was such a typical guy response.

"Look, we can figure it out later. Did you tell anyone yet?" Austin went on.  
"Just Trish. I just called her before. I'm about to call mom and dad. You?" Ally explained. Austin laughed.  
"Your parents already know. I asked them before I proposed to you." Austin said with a smile. Ally's heart jumped in her chest as she gaped. She shook her head.  
"You really are a gentleman aren't you? So proper and sophisticated." Ally commented. Austin laughed again.

"I was worried your dad would kill me if I didn't ask permission first." Austin said apologetically.  
"Oh, and I only told Dez. Man, sometimes I wish we all lived together again." Austin went on. Ally could sense a hint of the teenage Austin in his tone. She too, wished things were the same. But people have to grow up.

"Yeah me too. But hey, maybe this'll be an excuse for them to move out here for us." Ally suggested.  
"Hey, yeah. Maybe. And I'm coming round tonight so we can plan our engagement party." Austin said. Ally gasped.  
"Oh my gosh, there's so much to do." Ally said out loud.  
"Don't worry. We're in this together." Ally could almost feel Austin's hand in hers as he spoke to her so reassuringly. Ally shook her head with a sigh.  
"Are you sure you can't just come over now? I miss you." Ally confessed. It was surreal how much she depended on Austin. How much she missed him when he was only a few blocks away from her. How much she felt like a part of her was missing when he wasn't sitting next to her, or cradling her in his arms.  
"I would – but you know I have that meeting at the studio soon. I'll come over tonight." Austin reminded her. Ally mouthed 'yeah' to herself.  
"I'll miss you." She repeated. Austin crookedly smiled.  
"I love you." He said. Ally knew this meant he was about to hang up.  
"I love you too, bye." She said, blinking slowly as he said goodbye back and she dropped her phone on to the bed.

* * *

Ally chopped up some grape tomatoes and slid them over into the crystal salad bowl, slightly bopping to the music on her stereo. She had lit candles all around the apartment, eagerly waiting to have dinner with her _fiancé. _Thinking of the fact that Austin was her fiancé, Ally practically danced over to the oven to retrieve her roast pumpkin. As she poured the pasta into a serving dish, the doorbell finally rang. She licked her finger and pranced over to her front door.

As she opened it, no sooner did Ally see the beautiful blonde mop above her, then did she leap right into him, wrap her legs around his waist and crash her lips into his. Austin responded back by placing his tongue into her throat and walking them into the apartment, slamming the door shut. As Ally brought her hands down to his chest and sighed deeply, she bumped her forehead into his. Austin cleared his throat.

"Hi to you too," Austin whispered. Ally giggled under her breath.

"I guess I'm just really excited to see you." Ally confessed, kissing him quickly again. Austin walked in toward the kitchen with Ally still straddling him and looked on the kitchen bench.

"Hey, is that chocolate pudding?" Austin asked excitedly with a boyish eager grin of hunger. Ally thought it was precious the way the boy within Austin still lived. Even at 24, he still never let the child inside him die.

"Yeah, it is. I hope you're hungry. I made dinner." Ally replied tilting her head to the side with a proud smile.

"Starved," Austin said, proceeding to put her down when Ally persisted. Austin turned to her gaze with a smirk. Ally giggled.

"I like the view from up here." Ally defended herself. Austin looked at her for a moment, then took a tighter grip on her waist and kissed her again. Ally breathed heavily in response and ruffled her fingers through his locks, as Austin lead them over to her couch. He sat down carefully while still kissing her and when he found the couch cushion, he proceeded to kiss down her neck and Ally held the back of his head as he did so. Ally kissed his ear and his jawline, and soon Austin was lying down on the couch and dragging Ally along with him. He kissed her jaw and Ally held the right side of his neck as she kissed his forehead. When Austin dragged his hands from around her back toward her chest, Ally laughed.

"Easy tiger, I think we should eat first." Ally breathed, hearing Austin's groan.  
"But I think my hunger just diverted itself …" Austin said, narrowing his eyes with a dark grin. Ally shook her head.

"Maybe later, we have a lot to talk about." Ally reminded him. Austin sighed but nodded and let Ally take his hand back toward the kitchen.

"Should we have an engagement party?" Ally asked out loud as she used two spatulas to distribute some pasta onto Austin's plate. She bent back down to her seat and took a sip of her wine. Austin nodded.

"Yeah, of course. How about at the Plaza?" Austin suggested, just as Ally choked on her wine in response. Austin pat her on the back to help her, trying to hold in a laugh.

"What, what's wrong with the Plaza?" Austin asked with a smirk. Ally touched her neck with the palm of her hand and widened her eyes at him with disbelief.

"There is nothing _wrong_ with the Plaza, Austin, but do you really want to spend so much money?" Ally asked him. Austin shrugged his shoulders lightly with a smile.

"This is our wedding, Ally. You've always dreamed about having a wedding event at the Plaza, so we're gonna do it." Austin said firmly. Ally smiled shyly at him and held his resting hand upon the table.

"You remember?" Ally asked, tilting her head to the side. Austin grinned.  
"Of course. Come on, you've been planning your wedding since you were twelve, have you not?" Austin prompted, raising his eyebrow. Ally dreamily stared into space.

"Yeah, ever since Aunt …"  
"Wendy and Uncle George had their ceremony at the Plaza." Austin finished her sentence. Ally blushed and held her face with the palm of her hand. Austin took her hand away from her face and took a firm grip on it.

"We'll have the engagement party at the Plaza. Unless, you want to have the wedding there." Austin said, taking a bite of the pasta.

"Actually, also when I was younger, my mom once took me to the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami for the art collections … and ever since then I can't seem to get the venue out of my head." Ally explained as if she were saying this for the first time. The knowing look on Austin's face proved her wrong.

"I've already told you that haven't I?" Ally asked with a sheepish laugh.  
"The wedding ceremony would take place at 4 just in time for an evening reception within the museum." Austin almost chanted. Ally shook her head and raised her glass.

"You're good." Ally said raising her glass to tap it with Austin's. Austin flashed a toothy grin and tapped his glass with hers, as they both sipped.

* * *

**So there you have it. Austin and Ally will be going to LA in the next chapter to meet some old friends. Stay tuned! And please review! I love to hear your thoughts :) **


	5. Chapter 5: Reunion

**Guys, thank you so much for the positive feedback on my last entry. It means so much to me that you are all enjoying this story. **

**Okay, so I literally _just _watched the Season 4 premiere, and am I the only one who got a little emotional? I mean not only cause this is pretty much the beginning of the end for this show, but because there were so many things in the episode that were kinda hard to stomach. They're growing up and it's difficult to accept, but that's the reality I guess. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, I absolutely loved writing this one. **

* * *

Austin and Ally stepped out of the LAX airport and breathed in the cool fresh air coupled with the bright sun peering above the palm trees. Unfortunately, LAX was home to millions of paparazzi everyday so the enjoyment was short lived. They both placed their sunglasses over their eyes and headed over to a car that was waiting for them. Ally could feel a photographer snapping photos of her and her fiancé, but she tried to brush it aside, pulling her hat down a little bit.

Subtly, she pulled her over-sized sweater over her fingers, hoping the photographers would not catch her ringed finger. While she knew the news spread of their engagement would be inevitable in this industry, she wanted to postpone it as long as possible. It was their life. Why should anyone interfere?

"Thanks Gary." Austin murmured quietly to their driver as they both hopped in to the backseat of the car. Gary was Trish's driver when she needed to get her clients to and from places, and he would always take Ally and Austin when they were in LA.

"No sweat, man." He mouthed, shutting the door after them and getting into the driver's seat. Ally slipped her sunglasses to the top of her head and texted Trish to let her know they were on their way.

"Would you ever consider living in LA?" Austin asked as he took his sunglasses off and held them between his fingers. Ally let her phone drop into her lap and looked at Austin, beginning to shake her head.

"I don't think so … I mean, the crowd is unbelievable, and plus you get mauled and attacked by the media and the paparazzi way more out here." Ally pointed out, leaning her shoulder against Austin's. Despite the roomy backseat, Ally still wanted to sit as close to Austin as possible, which Austin clearly didn't mind.

"Good. Cause I was thinking we settle down back home … eventually." Austin said. Ally's eyes lit up, flashing a grin from ear to ear on her lips. She looked down, thinking how wonderful it would be to start a _home _in Miami.

"That sounds perfect." She said, kissing his cheek. Austin smiled and looked out the window, peering out to the waters under the bridge they were driving on.

"You've thought a lot about our future, haven't you?" Ally asked, an undertone of happiness in her voice. Austin looked at her.

"Yeah, I have. I mean, haven't you?" he pressed, raising his eyebrow. Ally laughed.  
"Whatttttt?" she asked in her typical Ally tone. Austin let out a short chuckle under his breath. Ally shook her head.

"Of course I have. But I'm happy that you have too. It … means you're happy." She said, blushing a little.  
"I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, Ally. Our future together means everything to me." Austin said, taking her hand and locking their fingers together.

They stopped in front of an Asian fusion restaurant and Austin and Ally got out, heading towards the oriental styled entrance. They walked in, retrieving their booking under Trish's name and headed to a private booth in the back.

As they walked toward their table, Ally saw Trish's frame for a split second and ran to hug her tight. Austin and Dez exchanged a handshake but smirked and gave each other a tight, brotherly hug. Then as they let go, Ally pranced over to Dez and gave him a big hug too as Austin and Trish did the same.

"I'm so glad you guys are finally here." Trish exclaimed.  
"The flight felt so long, I just couldn't wait to see you both." Ally said.

"Well come on, let me see the rock!" Trish exclaimed, sliding in to the booth as Ally followed after her.

"Okay, just wait." Ally said, placing her bag in the basket underneath the table. Ally brought her left hand to Trish's view and Trish gawked at the beautiful shiny sight.

"Oh, wow, I think I'm blind." Trish commented, making Ally laugh under her breath and smirk at Austin.  
"Let me see." Dez chimed in as Ally extended her hand to Dez's.

"Man, that's beautiful." Dez said, almost tearing up. Ally smirked and Austin laughed at his best friend.

Trish insisted on Austin retelling the story of his proposal, and when he finished, Ally smiled dreamily and looked up to see Dez wiping a real tear from his eye.

"You guys make me feel like I'm watching the best romantic movie ever." He said in between tears. Austin shook his head.

"Well anyway, Ally and I are planning to have the engagement party at the Plaza Hotel." Before Austin could say another word, Trish took out her phone and began typing.

"Say no more," she cut him off. Ally laughed in admiration.  
"Trish, you've become so efficient!" Ally observed with a smile. Trish grinned back proudly. "I am impressed."

"Yeah well, I was due." Trish replied with a laugh. "Besides, I kinda miss you two as my clients … you were my first, after all." She went on. Ally gasped sarcastically and looked over at Austin.

"She remembers!" Ally breathed, soon laughing at her own joke. Austin shook her head.

As the old foursome ate their meals, they conversed not only about Austin and Ally's wedding plans, but also about their lives in general.

"Dez, when is Carrie gonna get here?" Ally asked, biting into her coconut rice. Dez quickly looked at his watch.

"She should be here soon, she said she had a photo shoot but as soon as it was done she would get here." Dez replied. Trish waved her fork around at Dez.

"You know, I could totally manage her …" she suggested. Dez abruptly turned his head to Austin who widened his eyes, before Dez turned straight back to Trish.

"Yeah, that would be great if she were a singer. She is a _mo-del_." Dez emphasised, waving his hands in the air. Ally giggled quietly. She missed Dez's quirky antics.

"I'm just saying …" but before Trish could finish, Carrie pranced in toward them with a huge grin on her face. Ally brightened up as she came and jumped up to hug her, as did Austin.

"Carrie! You look great!" Ally complimented, taking note of her wacky outfit. She may've been a model, but her sense of style had not changed. She was wearing a pair of black and white patterned three quarter pants, a purple oversized jumper, turquoise heels, and her hair was let down loose to the side, showing off her chunky turquoise earrings. Ally smiled. She wore it well.

"Oh stop it …" she pushed Ally away shyly, placing her hair behind her ears. "Come on, let me see!" she sang, taking Ally's left hand. She gasped as she studied it, and Ally blushed.

"It's beautiful," she observed, looking over at Austin. "Make sure you take my Dezzy when he goes shopping for mine." Carrie said, eyeballing Austin. Austin laughed, but saw Dez airing himself with his shirt, and taking a sip of his water.

"What's the matter with him?" Ally asked, still looking at Dez who was coughing a little bit. Carrie sighed, rolling her eyes toward Ally. Ally formed an 'o' shape with her lips, gathering that Dez was obviously afraid of marriage.

"Don't worry, he'll come round." Ally whispered reassuringly, leaning toward Carrie. It was difficult to reach her ear since she was wearing high heels and was already so tall. Carrie sat down next to Dez at the end of the booth, and Ally sat back down too.

"Well, Carrie, now that you're here, I'd like to ask you something." Ally said with a very important tone. Carrie looked up at her but slowly broke into a smile. Ally smiled back.

"Carrie, I would absolutely love it if you could be a bridesmaid." Ally requested wholesomely. Carrie beamed and grabbed on to Dez's arm, violently nodding her head.

"Of course I will! I've never been a bridesmaid before!" Carrie beamed, suddenly her eyes turning wide. "Can we make the colour scheme my favourite colour?" she went on, not blinking. Ally hadn't stopped smiling at her, but soon nodded her head blankly into space, remembering that Carrie's favourite colour was every colour conceivable.

"Absolutely not." Ally replied bluntly. Carrie pouted and slumped back into the booth. Dez put his arm over her shoulder and sighed.

"Don't worry, babe - " but before he could go on, Carrie brightened up and looked into Dez's eyes.  
"You mean we can do that for our wedding?" she exclaimed, locking her fingers together before him. Dez fell silent and began to air his shirt, taking a sip of his water _again_. Ally shook her head.

"The colour scheme should be red, your favourite colour." Austin put in, looking at Ally. Ally smiled but shook her head.  
"No, red and yellow - _both _our favourite colours." Ally decided. They both turned to see Dez wailing with no tears.

"Someone's a bit of an emotional roller coaster today," Trish observed with a sinister laugh.  
"I can't help it, you two are beautiful." Dez said in between wails, blowing his nose into a tissue. Carrie affectionately rubbed his shoulder with the palm of her hand.

"So I think you guys should come to New York to meet the rest of the bridal party," Ally said with a smile as she took a sip of her cocktail. Trish pouted which caused Ally to raise her eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, I'd like to meet the girls who are taking my place in New York …" Trish said, looking off into space.

"Trish, you know that no one could ever take your place. Besides, you've already met Zoe." Ally comforted her best friend. Trish broke into a half smile.

"I know, and she's great. Is there anybody else?" Trish went on. Ally beamed.

"One other girl I met last year, her name's Georgia. I'm sure you guys are gonna love her." Ally began to gesture to Dez and Carrie.

"Austin, what about you?" Trish asked. Austin laughed.

"Dez already knows my guys. Chase, Dan and Brad." Austin replied. Dez nodded. Carrie looked over at Ally.  
"I haven't met any of them … do you think they'll like me?" Carrie asked, genuinely concerned. Ally tilted her head and smiled with reassurance.

"Carrie, of course they will. Especially Georgia. When I met her she reminded me of you." Ally comforted her. Carrie beamed and took one of Dez's satay chicken skewers.

* * *

"I can't wait for you to meet my new boyfriend, you'll absolutely love him." Trish said excitedly as they made their way toward the restaurant's door. Ally looked at her in confusion.

"You mean Tom?" Ally stammered, obviously unsure of whom Trish meant. Trish rolled her eyes in disgust at the name.

"That loser? I dumped him like a month ago. I'm talking about Finn, he's so cool." Trish gushed, as Ally rolled her eyes at her best friend. Ever since Trish and Jayce had broken up, Trish hadn't had one steady relationship. She seemed to enjoy playing the field and dating different men whenever she could. Ally could hear Austin snicker behind them.

"You've gotta have a scoreboard to keep up with her boyfriends." Austin remarked with a laugh, as the gang joined him. Trish turned around to glare at them but it was Dez she seemed to stare at the most, who still squirmed when he saw the death in her look.

"You guys will change your tune when you meet him. I think this one's a keeper." Trish went on. Ally hoped Trish was right. While she didn't mind Trish dating many men, she didn't appreciate how she broke up with each of them. The minute things became too serious between her and a guy, Trish would break it off and move on with no hesitation.

"You ready for the rush?" Dez asked openly as they reached outside. Carrie turned to him.  
"Babe, we're with a real hot shot celebrity right now. Be prepared for the ambush." Dez warned as he placed him around her. Both Austin and Ally smiled.

"Dez that-"  
"We're not-" they both said at the same time, but Dez cut them off.

"Not you two, I was talking about Carrie … duh?" Dez corrected them, leaving both Austin and Ally looking washed out. Carrie smiled brightly.

"Thanks Dezzy. But I don't think it'll be that bad." Carrie assured him. Ally shook her head and Austin came to her side to hold her hand.

Luckily, as the group walked through the darkening night and rather quiet suburb, there was no sign of any paparazzi anywhere. They were heading toward a bar downtown, where they were going to meet Trish's new boyfriend. As they approached the bar, they noticed quite a large line outside so they proceeded to the end of it.

"There he is, _Finn_!" Trish yelled, making Ally jolt back into Austin's chest who was just as frightened. They all turned to look in the direction of Trish's sight and saw a boy coming toward them with a huge smile on his face. Austin widened his eyes at the boy, and as if she read his mind, Ally looked up at Austin just as confused.

Finn was slightly taller than Trish, but the most striking feature of his was that he appeared extremely young for her. No more than 20, Ally estimated.

"Hi Trish!" he greeted, as Trish kissed his cheek. "Austin Moon, big fan." He turned to Austin and shook his hand. Austin smiled at him politely.

"Thanks man, nice to meet you." He replied. When Finn turned to Dez, Dez shook his hand.

"So, what grade are you going in to?" Dez asked seriously. Carrie elbowed him in the stomach, which made Dez gag a bit. Ally turned to Austin's chest, trying to hold in her laughter as Austin pressed his lips together so hard they felt as if they would crack. Finn laughed nervously.

"I'm actually 21." He corrected Dez, shifting his eyes. Trish glared at Dez from behind Finn.

"Well good, at least you can get in to the bar. Ha ha ha!" Ally laughed blankly as the others tried to ignore her humour. Austin shook his head. Ally's humour had not changed or improved since he'd met her. While it was embarrassing at times, it was one of the many things he loved about her.

They made their way through the line, as Dez and Austin tried to find something in common with the 21 year old.

"So how do you guys like Finn?" Trish asked excitedly. Ally exchanged a look with Carrie.  
"He seems really nice, Trish. And he seems to really like you." Ally commented.  
"Yeah, and he has really kind eyes." Carrie added with a sincere smile. Ally smirked and nodded along with Carrie. Suddenly Ally felt a pair of arms around her waist and looked up with a smile at Austin. Carrie and Trish swiftly moved back to Dez and Finn, letting the newly engaged couple share a moment of PDA. Austin swayed them side to side and Ally leaned her head against his chin.

The group had been dancing for about an hour but Austin and Ally soon parted from the dance floor and proceeded over to the bar. Austin ordered drinks for both of them.

Back on the dance floor, Dez and Carrie were sporting their best moves to the music, while Trish happily danced with her new beau.

"Trish, there's something I have to tell you!" Finn yelled over the music. Trish leaned closer to him.  
"_What_!?" Trish asked, obviously unable to hear over the noise. Finn shook his head and pulled her toward the bar where it was a bit quieter.

"I have to tell you something." He repeated. Trish widened her eyes and leaned against the bar, ready to listen but quickly ordered a drink.

"Shoot!" she exclaimed, taking a sip of a light beer. Finn took in a deep breath and nodded, trying to prepare himself.

"You know how I said I was 21?" he began. Trish held the alcoholic content in her mouth for a second, staring at Finn for a moment before swallowing. She gulped loudly and feared for him to go on.

"Yeah …?" she mumbled.  
"Well, I lied. The truth is … I'm …" he stammered, looking down. Trish glowered down at him.

"What? How old are you, Finn?" Trish spat.  
"I'm, well … I'm 18… 17 really." He muttered. Trish took another sip of her drink, almost sculling before she answered.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Trish asked. Finn sighed.  
"When we met that day I just thought you were so cool … I had to lie about my age… and I really wanted to come to a club." Finn argued. Trish shook her head.

"That means you showed a fake ID … what kind of sick bastard does that?" Trish pressed. Finn raised his eyebrow, narrowing his eyes back and forth before he answered.  
"The kind of sick bastard who's slowly falling in …" but before he could say anything, Trish groaned in disgust.

"Oh, give me a _break_. Get out before I call your parents!" Trish yelled. Finn opened his mouth to protest but Trish didn't allow it. "Out!" she repeated, gesturing toward the door. Finn placed his  
beer on the bar counter and sighed, slowly making his way toward the exit.

Trish clenched her fists to her bottle, firing with rage at what had happened. She ordered another drink and looked around for her friends.

* * *

Austin and Ally had found a private booth toward the back of the club and had been drinking and talking, enjoying the distance from the loud music.

"You know, your dancing has seriously improved over the last few years." Austin commented, placing his arm on the seat above Ally's head. Ally looked at him in shock.  
"_Excuse me_? My dancing has always been great – thank you very much." Ally defended herself, elbowing Austin in the stomach. Austin laughed and began pressing his nose against Ally's cheek playfully.

"Really? You think you're a better dancer than me, Alls?" he asked cheekily. Ally giggled, nodding her head and Austin lightly kissed her ear.  
"Hmm-hmm. No contest." Ally went on, as she let him kiss down her jaw and toward her lips in between giggles. At that moment, an angered Trish approached them and coughed unsubtly, waiting for her friends to stop. Ally laughed and gently took Austin's face away from hers, looking over at her friend.

"Trish, are you okay?" Ally asked, suddenly concerned at the look in Trish's eyes. Trish frowned and looked over at Austin.

"Austin, do you mind giving us a minute?" Trish asked sincerely. Austin immediately got up politely before squeezing Ally's hand and proceeding back over to the bar.

Trish slid down toward Ally and shook her head, unable to even think of how to start.

"Is there something wrong with me?" Trish blurted out, looking at Ally. Ally widened her eyes in disbelief.

"What kind of question is that?" Ally asked back, before seeing Trish look away, shaking her head again. Ally took her hand and made Trish look into her eyes.

"What happened?" Ally asked. Trish sighed.  
"You were all right. Finn isn't 21. He isn't even 18 – bastard is only 17." Trish explained, bringing the bottle to her lips and swallowing rhythmically. Ally looked down.

"I'm sorry, Trish. But maybe the age thing doesn't matter. Maybe he genuinely likes you." Ally tried to reason. Trish laughed.

"He bluntly said that he wanted to see what a club was like!" Trish exclaimed. Ally gawked at her, her mouth hanging open for a moment.

"Is it me? Am I just like, _jerk-magnetic_?" Trish asked out loud. Ally rubbed her arm.  
"No, of course not Trish." Ally comforted her. Trish looked at her.

"Then what is it?" Ally sighed.  
"I think you need to be more careful about who you choose to go out with … find somebody who can appreciate the amazing girl that you are. I mean, let's face it. You've been going out with a few jerks lately, maybe it's time to be really selective … someone you can picture having a future with." Ally said quite naturally. She had been waiting to tell Trish this for a while, but always felt that if Trish was happy, she wouldn't interfere.

"Besides, you deserve the best, Trish. Don't let just anybody into your heart." Ally went on. Trish looked down, but slowly smiled at Ally.

"Thanks Ally. Man, you always know what to say." Trish complimented with a laugh. Ally smirked.  
"It's a gift." She said playfully as the two best friends laughed.

"I guess ever since Jayce and I broke up I haven't really been thinking straight." Trish admitted, looking toward the dance floor. Ally nodded.

"I understand. But don't worry, Trish. The right guy is still out there waiting for you." Ally comforted her. Trish smiled and went in to hug Ally who hugged her back wholesomely.

* * *

After many, many, _many_ more drinks, the gang was ready to turn in. As they reached outside, Ally's loud laugh was echoing throughout the street and she held on to Austin for balance. Dez laughed.

"I love drunk Ally!" Dez exclaimed with his arm around Carrie. Ally blinked carefully, smiling very lazily. She laughed but suddenly turned very serious.

"I love you guys." Ally admitted, crashing into Austin again and looking deep into his eyes.

"You … You are_ so_ cute. I think I might wanna marry you!" Ally laughed, diving for his lips. Austin kissed her back lazily.  
"Okay." He replied with a laugh.

They hailed a cab and Austin and Ally got off at their hotel. When they reached the elevator, Austin scooped her up in his arms making Ally scream, and they headed in, kissing as the door closed.

"You are just so fucking beautiful." Austin commented, still laughing. Ally grinned.  
"So are _you_." Ally said, kissing him again.

"You might be the most handsome guy in this elevator, ha ha ha!" Ally laughed, undoing some of his buttons.

The door opened, and the pair headed for the room, Ally still dangling in Austin's arms, carrying her high heels in one hand. After a few attempts at opening the door, he scrunched his eyebrows and looked at Ally. Ally thought for a moment.

"Oh! Austin we forgot to use the, the, this thing!" Ally yelled, reaching into her bag for the room key, stumbling in the process.  
"God Ally-cat, you're just _so _smart." Austin said. "What would I do without you?" Austin asked, finally able to open the door. Ally shushed him and began undoing his buttons further down.

"I love you, Austin." Ally said, trying to tame her voice as much as possible, tightening her grip on his neck. Austin crashed his forehead into hers and breathed heavily.

"I love you." Austin whispered, carrying her to the large golden bed.

* * *

**A bit of a long chapter but those are the best, right? ;) Sorry, I have to put a spoiler disclaimer here, so if you haven't seen the Season 4 premiere, head on straight to the review page! ;)**

**Spoiler: I know Dez and Carrie have broken up in the episode, but I honestly think they'll be endgame. If not in the show, I'm making it so! haha. But I'll be incorporating that into my story later on so stay tuned.**

**As usual, pleaseeeee review! **


	6. Chapter 6: Memories of an Old Friend

**Reviews make me happy. :)**

* * *

"Didn't you call me _Ally-cat _last night?" Ally suddenly recalled as they headed out of the JFK airport. Austin looked up, thinking for a moment but shook his head, unable to remember.

"Nah, I just remember laughing … a lot." Austin said. Ally glared at him.  
"That's _all _you remember?" Ally pressed, trying to hint at something. Austin stayed silent but suddenly broke into a cheeky grin.

"Oh no, of course I remember _that_ … Ally-cat." Austin whispered her nickname in her ear as Ally began playfully slapping his shoulder. Austin grabbed her around her shoulder in response and the pair just giggled. They waited for a taxi in the line, and Austin sighed.

"What's wrong?" Ally asked, as they moved forward. Austin looked at her, grabbing her waist and pulling her close to his side.

"I wish I didn't have to go home. I wish I could stay with you." Austin admitted. Ally looked at him carefully for a moment, lost in thought. Austin noticed.

"What?" he asked. Ally suddenly broke into a smile.  
"Why don't you?" Ally suggested, grinning from ear to ear.

"Next!" the man called, but Austin shot a death glare at him.  
"Hold it man!" Austin yelled at him, making the man shake his head and gesture for the next group behind them to come forward. Austin didn't care, he just kept staring at Ally.

"Like for the night?" Austin asked, trying to lower his assumptions as much as possible, but seeing Ally shake her head brought a huge smile to his face.

"No. I want you to live with me. I want to be with you, every day. I mean, I can't stand being away from you anyway." Ally explained. Austin just continued smiling and planted a big kiss on her forehead. They finally made their way to a cab.

"I don't know why we didn't think of this before." Ally thought out loud in the cab. Austin softly laughed.

"To be honest, I always did. But I didn't want to impose on your life unless you were absolutely willing. Besides, I didn't know you would consider it proper." Austin commented on Ally's proper nature.

"You should have asked." Ally replied. "I honestly just never even thought about it." She went on.

"Well, we couldn't pick a better time. Now we can plan everything together and be together every day." Austin said. Ally smiled and leaned her head on Austin's shoulder.

* * *

As Ally dropped her keys on the kitchen counter of her apartment, she couldn't help but smile at the thought of her fiancé moving in with her. She took a shower and as she got dressed, her mobile rang. Ally ran to it and saw the name _Kira _spread across the screen. Ally's heart thudded. She hadn't spoken to Kira in almost three years, especially after Ally had moved to New York. What would she say? Nervously, Ally pressed answer and sat down by her bay window, overlooking New York City.

"Hello?" Ally called into the phone. She heard a gasp at the other end of the line.  
"Ally! It's been too long! How are you?" Kira exclaimed excitedly. Ally grinned. It was wonderful to hear Kira's voice again. After she had moved out of Miami they had barely spoken.

"I'm good, thanks. How are you?" Ally asked.  
"Eh, I'm okay. But come on, I read the news. Congratulations!" Kira cried. Ally shifted uncomfortably.  
"What- what news?" Ally asked. If the media had already hawked in on her and Austin's engagement, she wouldn't be left alone very long.

"Your and Austin's engagement, of course! Oh, Ally I'm so happy for you. I knew you two would end up together." Kira said. Ally laughed.  
"Aw, thanks Kira. But how did you find out?" - Ally  
"It's all over the news apps, it's even trending on …" - Kira  
"It's on Twitter?" - Ally  
"No …." Kira quickly interjected. After a moment, the two laughed. The conversation was all too familiar of when Ally had been hit by a roasted pig and pictures had spread all over social media. Ally sighed. That was almost seven years ago.

"I miss you, Kira." Ally admitted wholesomely. Kira sighed.  
"Yeah, and I'm sorry about what happened. I didn't mean to shut you out." Kira said. Ally raised her eyebrows.  
"Shut me out? You were trying to shut me out?" Ally asked.  
"No, no, no … Um, before you guys moved to New York some things went down between me and my parents, so I didn't really talk to anybody." Kira said slowly. There was a silence.

"Kira, are you okay?" Ally asked softly. She heard Kira sniffle a little on the other end of the line.  
"Yeah, I'm okay. I mean, I know it's kinda out of the blue that I'm calling you, but I just wanted to congratulate you two…" Kira said. Ally looked down. She wanted with all her heart to find out what was wrong with Kira, but knew she really wanted to see her in person.

"Kira, I'd really love to catch up with you sometime. Where are you living now?" Ally asked.  
"Oh yeah, that'd be great. I live in Brooklyn now." Kira said. Ally's eyes blew wide open.

"As in, in New York?" Ally asked. Kira laughed nervously.  
"Yeah, that's the one. I know I should have called you when I moved here, but everything was so …" she drifted off obviously lost.  
"Well, we should catch up. How bout on Friday, for brunch? We can meet in Brooklyn if you want." Ally offered.  
"Oh no, I'd love to get out. I'll come to Manhattan." - Kira  
"Okay, well I'll text you later in the week then." - Ally  
"Sure! Shoot, I have to run. Congratulations again, Ally. And give my regards to Austin too." - Kira  
"Yeah, of course. And thanks so much for calling, Kira. It's great to hear from you." - Ally  
"Of course! See ya." - Kira  
"Bye." – Ally.

Austin and Ally had decided to move in together on the Thursday. Ally was so happy she could burst. It was strange how she had never thought about Austin moving in with her as soon as they both came to New York, but she realised that they spent so much of their time together it felt like they lived together already.

"Oh, guess who called me the other day?" Ally called as she took out Austin's shoes and socks from a box. Austin was in the living room placing his video games in her large DVD and CD cabinet.

"Taylor Swift?" Austin joked. Ally pressed her lips together and threw a pair of socks at him from the bedroom all the way to the living room. Austin ducked but chuckled at his own joke.  
"Okay, who?" Austin asked, still smiling.

"Kira." Ally replied. Austin stopped taking out DVDs and looked directly at Ally. Ally raised her eyebrows and nodded, obviously sensing that Austin didn't believe it.

"Kira Starr? Wow, we haven't spoken to her in years." Austin recalled, walking into the bedroom and sitting on Ally's bed.

"Yeah, she just congratulated us on our engagement – which by the way, people seem to know about already." Ally pointed out. Austin nodded.

"Yeah, Daniel showed it to me online. Apparently they caught us in line at that club in LA and someone zoomed in your finger." Austin explained. Ally scrunched her eyes together with rage.

"I wish I could have flashed them a different finger." Ally muttered. Austin chuckled.  
"Man would I love to have seen that." Austin remarked.

"Seriously, is there no rule of privacy anymore?" Ally asked out loud. Austin shrugged.  
"I don't know, we kind of lost that right when we became musicians." Austin reminded her. Ally groaned.

"I don't know, it was fun being engaged and not having people know about it, you know?" Ally dazed, looking far into Austin's eyes and shaking her head.

"I know. But hey, no one's getting into any events. We'll have security everywhere, I promise." Austin promised, taking her hand. Ally smiled and kissed his hand.  
"You're a prince." Ally said with a smile. Austin flashed a knowing smile. Ally often called Austin her prince, especially when he gave her everything she wanted without her requests.

"But what about Kira?" Austin went on. Ally clicked and lit up her eyes.  
"Yeah, we're having brunch tomorrow in the city. Something about her was different when we spoke on the phone, though. She sounded kinda depressed." Ally vented. Austin furrowed his eyebrows in alignment.

"Really, why?" he pressed. Ally looked to the side thoughtfully.  
"She said she had falling out with her parents." Ally recalled. Austin looked at Ally carefully.

"What the hell did that bastard do now?" Austin practically exclaimed.  
"Austin," Ally warned. After Jimmy Starr had released Austin from his contract, it had been extremely difficult for him to get back into the music business. He was only able to make a new album because of his now good friend Chase, an independent producer. As a result Austin hated talking about his first producer, Jimmy Starr. Austin looked away, suddenly remembering how hard it was for him, questioning his talent and trying to find new career options.

"We don't know what went down between them. It could have been anything, really." Ally tried to reason. Austin stayed silent for a moment but sighed heavily.  
"Well whatever it is, make sure she's okay." Austin said, making Ally softly smile.  
"I will." Ally assured him.

* * *

_**Friday. **_

Ally parked her car in the rear parking lot of a street of restaurants and cafés. She locked her car and headed toward the café she would be meeting Kira in. She quietly asked for a table and sat towards the back of the café. Ally scrolled through her twitter feed and soon looked up just in time to see Kira walking through the door.

"Kira!" Ally called. Kira looked around, and upon seeing Ally she beamed in excitement and ran to her. Ally got up and waited for her to come, giving her a big hug as she did.  
"Ally, I've missed you so much." Kira confessed, still hugging her. Part of Ally was about to cry, but the other part was happy to see her.

"Me too … Ugh, it's just so good to see you again, Kira." Ally said, pulling away from her and they both sat down. The two talked for what seemed like hours. As they talked, Ally realised how much she really had missed Kira and felt partially guilty for not organising to meet her earlier. But as they talked, Ally felt as if no time had passed between them. There were no awkward pauses and they could talk about absolutely anything.

Soon, as Kira took a sip of her coffee, Ally looked at her closely and carefully. She had let her hair grow down to her waist and had lost a little weight – not that she had ever needed to. But something about her, as Ally had gathered from their phone conversation, was different.

"So, if you don't mind me asking – what happened when we left Miami?" Ally asked. Ally remembered that for some time, Kira hadn't even spoken to any of them for almost a year. Kira looked down and placed her coffee back on the table, taking in a deep breath before she spoke.

"Well, it happened when I was about 18. I started seeing Kyle, he's an underground R&amp;B artist. Dad never even liked him cause one, he's a musician, and two, there was well _talk _that he was into drugs … which is not true at all. He might have tried some but he's in no way an addict."

"So, I had been dating him for a year before he asked me to move in with him. I was so in love and happy, I didn't see anything wrong with it … besides, I was only 18, you know?" Kira began, as Ally nodded along.

"Anyway, when I told my parents about it they were really unsupportive. They told me I was too young to move in with a guy, but I refused to listen. So I … ran away from home, with Kyle." Kira explained. Ally hadn't blinked once during the time Kira had been speaking.

"We're still together, in fact we even got engaged last year but I don't know, I have this hole in my heart, Ally. I want so much for my parents to be a part of my life …" Kira said, a tear forming in her eye. Ally looked at her, and handed her a tissue. Kira lightly smiled and took it.

"Have you thought about trying to contact them?" Ally asked quietly. She knew anything she had to say on Kira's situation would have to be extremely delicate. Kira nodded slowly.  
"Yeah … but every time I go to try, I stop myself. I'm afraid they won't want to talk to me." Kira explained. Ally nodded.

"I'm so sorry, Kira. But come on, tell me more about Kyle." Ally suggested, trying to make Kira smile. Which in fact worked. Kira's face immediately lit up and sniffled her tears away.

"He's great, Ally. He has his own music channel online, he writes music and he releases digital albums and EPs. You and Austin should definitely check him out." Kira said. Ally nodded.

"Yeah of course we will. And wow, and you're engaged too now, huh? When are you planning to get married?" Ally asked. Kira looked down.

"I don't think we'll be having a wedding … Not if my parents aren't speaking to me." Kira said. After a moment of silence, Ally sighed.

"I think you should at least try to contact them. You'll never know unless you try, you know?" Ally suggested. Kira just shook her head and looked out the window.

"Don't worry about me, Ally. Just be concerned with your own wedding." Kira said, brightly smiling at her. Ally half-smiled, unsure of how to respond, and just looked out the window.

* * *

Ally threw her keys on the kitchen counter and saw Austin sitting in their living room, watching some high speed car chase. He was sitting on the edge of the seat, paying so much attention to the large screen Ally thought his eyes were practically glued to it. Part of her was wondering if he had even heard her come through the door.

With a cheeky smile, Ally threw her keys on the floor, but Austin still didn't hear a thing.

"Hey, I'm back!" Ally called. Austin still didn't budge. She raised her eyebrow and suddenly hatched up an idea.

"Okay, Austin. I'm taking off my shirt." Ally said slyly. Almost instantaneously, Austin turned off the TV and abruptly looked at Ally. Ally tilted her head to the side, slightly shaking her head.

"Wow, your attention span is really remarkable." Ally commented, moving toward the bedroom. Austin chased after her and locked her body between his strong arms. Ally tilted her head as he swayed them side to side.

"How about we make your funny little hoax a reality?" Austin suggested with a dark undertone to his voice. Ally smirked but shoved him away, making Austin laugh. Ally dropped her bag down and Austin landed on the bed, looking eagerly at Ally.

"So, how was Kira?" Austin asked. Ally sighed. She sat down next to him and began to tell him the whole story.

"That's heavy, man." Austin remarked, looking away. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head.  
"That guy just doesn't understand love, does he?" Austin asked out loud. Ally thought back to Austin's biggest sacrifice in his music career. He had chosen Ally over his music, and while he had always told her that he was fine during the years he wasn't making music, Ally could tell he was feeling empty at that time. Jimmy Starr had been the cause of Austin's major hiatus, as he believed a girlfriend would ruin Austin's career. To this day, neither of them spoke to Jimmy and never planned on doing so.

"I guess he doesn't." Ally replied. Austin looked at her, and Ally crawled in between his legs as he lay back of the head board. He ran his fingers through Ally's hair and Ally leaned her head against his chest.

"Austin, you've sacrificed so much for me …" Ally said out loud. Austin didn't say anything, but soon Ally looked up into his deep brown, gorgeous eyes.

"I don't ever want you to think that I'm ungrateful for all you've done for me." Ally said, tears forming in her eyes. Austin took her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumbs.  
"For us." He corrected. Ally laughed through her tears, unable to express how she felt. She wrapped her arms around his neck and Austin brought her close to his body.

* * *

**So we don't know what is going to happen between Jimmy and Austin in Season 4 of A&amp;A but let's pretend whatever does happen in future episodes doesn't coincide with my story. Let's pretend that it somewhat ended at season 3, and we don't know anything of Austin's career later. Okay enough babbling. **

**Guys, do you think three bridesmaids and one maid of honour are enough for Ally? I'm thinking about making Kira a bridesmaid too but I don't know if that would make any sense since she did just come back into Ally's life. Tell me your opinion, besides ... if you review I will give you a brownie. 3**


	7. Chapter 7: Mother Dearest

**Long time no update, sorry! To make up for it I'll post another chapter today. :)**

* * *

Ally was sitting at her dining table, organizing what would be written into their engagement and wedding invitations. She had decided to properly discuss the invitations with her bridesmaids, and while Trish couldn't be there, Georgia and Zoe had agreed to come and help her.

A loud buzz filled the entire room, and Ally ran to her intercom.

"Hey, Ally. It's me and George." Zoe called into the device. Ally held down the microphone.  
"Come on up." Ally said, pressing the key button. A few minutes later the two friends knocked on the door and Ally yelled for them to come in.

"George, are you seriously okay with designing my invitations?" Ally asked seriously toward Georgia who seemed to be more than willing. In fact, even a little annoyed.  
"Ally, _come on_. It's my job, and I love it. Besides, I wanna help you out as much as I can in this whole process." Georgia replied. Ally exhaled deeply and nodded.

"I know, I just don't want you to think I'm just dumping all of this on you." Ally confessed. Georgia shook her head.  
"No way. Happy to do it." Georgia assured her.

The three friends drank coffee and conversed about Ally's plans. Soon, Ally showed the girls her and Austin's engagement photo shoot and the two girls stared in awe and the perfect photographs. Ally smiled sheepishly. Even she couldn't deny how cute the pictures were.

The photograph she and Austin had chosen to put in their engagement invitation was gorgeous. The pair stood beside a typical New York City brick wall, incorporating an out of focus alley way behind them. Cars and traffic could be seen at the very end of the photograph on the road outside the alley way, and Austin stood against the wall, smiling into Ally's temple while Ally looked down toward the ground. Her left leg slightly lifted from the ground, and she held his arms as he held her by the waist. Next to them against the wall, sat a traditional guitar.

"Ally, this might be the most beautiful picture of you and Austin. Or of any couple for that matter." Zoe complimented, holding the photograph between her fingers. Ally blushed.

"Yeah, the photographer was absolutely amazing. She's seriously talented." Ally diverted. Georgia tilted her head at Ally.

"Yeah, but subjects and models are what make great photographs." Georgia pointed out. Ally smirked and looked at the picture again. At that moment her phone began to buzz and Ally looked at her phone to see a picture of her mom fill the screen.

"Excuse me, guys." Ally said politely, taking her phone and heading into the bedroom.

"Hi mom." Ally said warmly. Ally heard a gasp at the other end of the line.  
"Ally!? Thank god. Where have you been? I've been calling and calling!" Penny Dawson called. Ally frowned.

"Sorry, I guess I've just been busy. What's up?" Ally asked.  
"Well, Ally, you've barely filled me in on anything about the wedding plans. And have you sent out the engagement party invitations yet?" – Penny. Ally sighed.

"Uh, no. They should be going out by next week." – Ally  
"Where is it going to be?" – Penny  
"The Plaza. Trish has already booked it in for February 26th. So please keep the date free. You and Paul could probably stay at the Plaza as well." – Ally. There was a silence.

"Ally, are you okay?" Penny asked with concern in her voice. Ally looked down. The truth was that she wasn't fine at all. At least with her mom.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just getting kinda stressed and stuff about this whole thing." Ally lied.  
"Well honey, if you're having trouble you know I'm more than happy to help." Penny offered.  
"No seriously, it's fine for now. I'll call you if I need anything, don't worry Mom." – Ally

"Okay, but please keep in contact with me. I don't want you to do this alone." – Penny  
"Don't worry, Austin, my bridesmaids, everybody is helping. I'm fine." Ally repeated. There was another silence.

"Mom, I better go. I'm trying to organise the invitations." Ally said.  
"Yeah, yeah sure. Call me soon, Ally." Penny said. Ally farewelled her, and upon pressing 'end' on her phone, Ally looked toward her window.

The truth was that after Penny had remarried only half a year earlier, Ally did not take it well. She had pretended she was fine with it, but something about her mom's new husband bothered her. Not only had she married him without telling either her father or Ally herself, but they had been seeing each other for several years and she had never bothered to tell Ally. She thought they had a better relationship than that. Ally didn't like her mother keeping secrets from her – why had she felt it necessary to keep someone so important in her life a secret?

While Penny had never really been around for Ally while she was growing up, they always remained close and felt like best friends. Her recent marriage proved that wrong. Part of Ally didn't even want to talk to her, but Ally knew she wanted her whole family to be a part of her wedding, no matter what.

Ally walked back into the kitchen and saw the girls looking over a mock-up made by Georgia of one of their invitations.

"So when do I get to meet the two other bridesmaids?" Georgia asked happily as Ally walked toward them, thinking for a moment.  
"I think they should be coming in a couple of weeks actually, all three of them. Including Dez. That way we can all hang out as you know, the official _bridal party._" Ally chanted, slightly giddy about calling her friends a bridal party.

"You know, I'm anxious to meet Dez. He sounds really … interesting." Zoe giggled. Ally laughed.  
"Trust me, he's the most interesting character you'll ever meet." Ally assured her, making the girls laugh.

* * *

Ally lay on the sofa, flicking through their engagement photographs. She couldn't help but smile at every photograph. She realised she should probably work on some music but being engaged to Austin had become increasingly distracting. Creative careers required a lot more work than simply going to an office and coming home at 5 in the evening. Now, both Austin and Ally had seemingly put their song writing on hold due to their engagement.

"How's you doing?" Austin called from the kitchen as he walked in. Ally dropped the photographs on her chest and looked up with her eyes wide, confused with Austin's weird accent.  
"Where did you come from? The bad accent academy?" Ally teased. Austin pretended to laugh as he walked to her but soon began to run as he neared her and playfully dropped the photographs on the coffee table and wrestling her on the couch. He was finally straddling her as she fought him, but Austin held her arms still and waited for her to stop squirming.

"Hmm, what else could we do in this position?" Austin teased, nearing her face. Ally shoved him away as Austin laughed and they both sat upright.

"By the way, your mom called me this afternoon." Austin said. Ally abruptly turned to him.  
"Why?" Ally pressed.

"Well, she wanted to know if you were okay and I said you were, and then I invited them to dinner a few nights before the engagement party." Austin explained.  
"You invited them to dinner? As in my mother and her new husband?" Ally repeated. Austin looked at her in confusion.

"Yeah, is that a problem?" Austin asked slowly. Ally looked away.  
"Since when are you and my mom so tight?" Ally challenged, looking away from him. Austin was silent, only opening his mouth a moment after Ally had turned to him. He pressed his eyes into her gaze, obviously very serious.

"Aren't your parents, my parents too?" Austin asked quietly. Ally didn't say anything, her heart just jumped. Tears formed in her eyes. How could anyone be so caring like Austin? She suddenly felt extremely guilty for blurting out something she didn't even mean to say.

"Oh, Austin … of-of course." Ally stammered, looking down again. "I'm so sorry." She whispered. Austin didn't touch her, he just remained silent. They hadn't felt uncomfortable with each other since their engagement, and Ally felt really bad.

"I'm- I'm so sorry, Austin," she repeated, cuddling up closer to him and placing her arms around his chest. Austin immediately placed his arm around her waist as she leaned her head on his shoulder, still not saying anything.

"I haven't been all that great with mom recently. I don't know why, but I certainly shouldn't have brought you into it. It's actually great you invited them … it's important we also have dinner with your parents too." Ally tried to divert the conversation.

"What's going on with you and your mom?" Austin diverted back. Ally didn't answer right away. She herself couldn't even understand why she was having difficulties with her mom, how would she explain it to Austin?

"I don't know, I guess her getting remarried is really hard for me." Ally muttered. Austin stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head after a moment. As he kissed her, Ally closed her eyes, wholesomely enjoying his touch.

"It's normal to be a little uneasy about your parents finding new people," Austin told her generally, as Ally listened. "But it's a part of life. And we have to learn to accept it." he said.

"Especially now that we're getting married. We have to keep our family close. We need them." Austin went on. After a moment of understanding what he was saying, Ally looked up to him with a smirk.

"When did you become so wise?" Ally asked. Austin smiled toward the floor, sighing.  
"One of the many things you taught me." He replied. Ally playfully shoved him and sank back into his chest.

* * *

**Hope you liked it! 3**


	8. Chapter 8: Meet The Parents

**So here's the bonus chapter. Enjoy and remember to review when you finish reading! :)**

* * *

Two weeks later, Austin and Ally were planning to have dinner with their parents. Ally felt somewhat uneasy and fidgety about the whole situation, trying to hide her awkwardness around Austin. Unfortunately, she was not succeeding.

"Uh, Alls? You're wearing two left shoes." Austin remarked with a smirk, seeing Ally come out of the bedroom. Austin was sitting on the couch in black jeans, a blue shirt and a black blazer. Ally looked down to see two different shoes on both her feet. She laughed nervously.

"Ha, I-I thought that felt weird." She stammered. Austin looked at her for a moment and got up from the sofa.

"Is everything okay?" Austin asked, placing his arms around Ally. Ally was wearing a brown pencil dress that came down just above her knees and wore her hair up in a high ponytail, her chestnut brown waves bouncing on her neck.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just a little nervous … I mean, this is the first time we're seeing our parents since our engagement." Ally practically blurted out. Austin nodded, but seemed slightly confused.

"Why, I mean they've seen us together for years. I'm sure they knew it was bound to happen." Austin pointed out. Ally nodded slowly.

"I know, but I've barely spoken to my mum and her new husband since they got married." Ally said, beginning to quiet down her tone as she finished.

"Hey, everything's gonna be fine ... And besides, we don't have to see them every day so don't worry about it if things are uncomfortable." Austin broke into a smile. Ally softly laughed.

* * *

Since the engagement party would be in only a few days, both sets of parents had decided to stay at the Plaza Hotel. As Ally came into the Plaza, she smiled. It was a beautiful hotel, and she couldn't wait to meet all of her friends there as the future Mrs Austin Moon. But on this night, she would have to meet her mother and her new husband, while her father sat awkwardly at the table as well. Ally couldn't bear the thought of seeing him alone, just across from his ex-wife and her disgusting excuse for a husband. Hopefully Austin's parents would be comforting at the table and dial down any awkwardness.

"Ally honey! Come here!" Lester Dawson called from a table inside the restaurant they were meeting in. A huge grin approached Ally's mouth, as the young child within her ran to her dad and hugged him tight.

"Dad! It's so great to see you." Ally said wholesomely as she held his chubby arms. Lester smiled lovingly at his daughter until he saw Austin flash his typical grin.

"So, Austin Moon. You've finally decided to marry my daughter, huh?" Lester pressed. Ally frowned and looked down. His 'protective father-of-the-bride' attitude made Ally uncomfortable. It didn't suit him and she wondered if he himself was feeling uneasy.

Austin nervously chuckled.

"_Finally_, sir? We're only 24." Austin reminded him. Lester didn't seem moved by Austin's response and kept eyeing him off.  
"Going on 25." He went on playfully, seeing Lester's warning look.

"Yeah, you are 24. What are you doing getting married to my only daughter so young?" Lester challenged. Ally rolled her eyes.

"Dad, _please_. Stop giving Austin such a hard time. You know …" but before Ally could go on, Lester interrupted.  
"Ally, please. Let Austin do the talking." Lester warned his daughter. Ally sighed and looked offside to them, letting Austin take over. But she was surprised to feel Austin breaking into a small grin.

"Mr Dawson, you may be right. Twenty-four is a bit young to get married, but I'm in love with Ally and I know we're going to spend the rest of our lives together." Austin said with confidence and a calm undertone.

"When I know I'm going to stick by her every day, why shouldn't we celebrate what we have as early as we can?" He paused for a moment before he went on. "I promise I'll put her before myself for the rest of my life." Ally hadn't stopped gazing at Austin as he spoke, and as he finished she looked over to her dad who was breaking into a smile.

"That's what I wanted to hear. You two have my blessing." Lester said warmly, as Austin and Ally smiled at one another. "And you can call me Lester." He said sweetly. Austin flashed a small grin at Lester but Ally gestured her hand toward her dad with confusion in her eyes.

"You're not gonna let him call you 'dad'?" Ally suggested with a subtle grin. Lester grinned along with her.  
"No." he said flatly. Ally accepted it with a dejected look on her face and looked toward the ground. Austin just lightly laughed.

"Hello!" Ally heard two voices from behind them in an awfully cheery tone. When she turned around she discovered Mike and Mimi Moon, Austin's parents. Ally almost laughed out loud at their outfits. They were still wearing somewhat matching colours and outfits despite the fact they were nowhere near the Moon Mattress Kingdom.

"Mom, Dad. So good to see you both." Austin greeted warmly as he hugged his mother and gently hugged his father.

"And where's my future daughter-in-law?" Mimi called, looking over at Ally. Ally walked past Austin to greet Mimi, who brought her in for a big hug, taking Ally by surprise.

"Hi, Mrs. Moon." Ally greeted as she hugged her. Mimi shrugged her off.  
"Oh, call me mom. And call him dad." Mimi suggested, making Ally brightly grin and turn to her own dad with an eyebrow raised. She turned back to Mike and Mimi and smiled softly.

"Thanks." She said, gesturing to Mike.  
"Don't mention it. After all, you are part of the family now." Mike pointed out. Ally smiled. During her teen years of dating Austin, never had they been so warm and loving. Now that they were older, she couldn't help but feel bliss on her new in-laws.

Then in the corner of her eye, Ally's bliss died down immediately. She practically squirmed in the middle of her to-be family but stopped herself and forced a smile – gesturing for Penny and her new husband to come over to them.

"Ally sweetie! There you are!" Penny called. And this time Ally did smile. As Penny Dawson spent little time with Ally while she was growing up, every moment they shared together was precious to Ally.

Ally collapsed into her mother's arms and smiled wholesomely, enjoying seeing her mother. But upon seeing Paul, her smile dropped.

"Ally, congratulations." Paul said, handing her a bouquet of flowers as mother and daughter let go. Ally didn't know how to react, so she just smiled lightly at her new ... _stepfather_.

"Thanks Paul," Ally said softly. "Um, this is my fiancé, Austin Moon." Ally introduced Austin, as Austin heartily came forward to shake his hand.

"Of course I know Austin," Paul said. "I heard your songs on the radio all the time while I was in Africa. You always had a good catchy beat." He went on. Austin smiled.

"Well, thanks. But you know, none of it would even be possible without Ally." Austin diverted, looking at the blushing Ally. Paul nodded.

"Yeah, well Ally is of course talented. She's Penny's daughter after all." Paul said, looking at Penny, this time making Penny blush. Ally held back the gape that was forming in her mouth, trying not to gag right in the middle of the two families.

During dinner, the two families spoke about their wedding, the costs, the expenses, everything. As Paul said something, Ally just looked away, playing lightly with the salad on her plate with a fork.

"Ally, honey. Don't play with your food." Penny warned her, making Ally glare right at her mother. She almost yelled at her mother then and there. She couldn't believe Penny was trying to coach her at this dinner, she wasn't twelve anymore for crying out loud! But when she thought about it, Penny wasn't even there when she was twelve. She clenched her teeth and bit into her salad, her hand slightly shaking.

"Are you okay?" Austin whispered next to her. Ally looked at Austin for a moment, but smiled assuredly, mouthing 'yeah' to him.

"So, we know the engagement party will be here at the Plaza, but where will the wedding be?" Mimi asked from across the table. Ally looked at Austin with a smile at her question, feeling giddy about their wedding. Austin looked from Ally to Mimi with a smile.

"Well, we're planning to have the wedding at the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens back home in Miami. Currently we're on the waiting list, so we haven't set a date for the ceremony yet." Austin explained. Penny gasped.

"You mean the one I took you to when you were little?" Penny interjected. Ally looked at her with a wide smile and nodded.  
"I've always thought I would get married there. It's so beautiful." Ally said. Penny smiled dreamily at her.

"You mean the one you took me to last year?" Paul recalled, leaning over to Penny. Penny nodded as Ally looked taken aback. She laughed with a condescending undertone.

"You took Paul to the museum? I didn't even know you were in Miami … let alone _America_ last year." Ally pressed with a sarcastic smile, silence filling the table. Penny laughed nervously.

"Oh, Ally. Come on, you knew I was in America last year." Penny reminded her half-heartedly, as Ally shook her head. Ally raised her eyebrows. That was an outright lie.  
"No, I didn't." Ally said flatly. "But who can blame you, you didn't even bother to tell me about your own marriage … why should I care about this?" she went on, taking an enormous bite of her salad.

"I told you about the marriage." Penny corrected again, making Ally laugh again.  
"There you go again, Mom – no, you didn't. You told me_ afterward_ so that when you did you wouldn't have to hear my opinion." Ally fired. The whole table was silent.

"Ally!" Lester warned. Ally looked at her father's concerned expression and suddenly realised the scene she had caused in front of the two families.

"We'll talk about this later." Penny muttered to Ally, as Ally continued to look down, simply listening. Her anger hadn't died down at her mother, but she didn't want to continue this scene in front of her future in-laws.

"So!" Mike clapped his hands together, making everyone jolt back. "Who's up for dessert?" he said with an almost fake grin. Austin took his wine glass.

"Me. And plenty more wine too." Austin said nervously, taking a sip from the glass. Mike nodded.

"Waiter!" Mike called.

* * *

"Well, it's been a lovely evening. We'll see you at the engagement party." Mimi said nervously as they left the restaurant. Ally smiled half-heartedly, aware that she had been the cause of the sudden awkwardness between both families.

"Yeah, we'll see you there." Austin said, giving his parents a hug again. Soon Lester left for his room as well, leaving only Austin and Ally and Penny and Paul.

"Ally, I think we need to talk." Penny pressed, looking down at her daughter. Ally just looked at her.

"Uh, Paul? Why don't we give these two some privacy?" Austin whispered to Paul as he nodded and shook his hand warmly. Austin headed for the exit and Paul went to wait near the lobby.

When they were both out of earshot, Penny turned to Ally and sighed heavily.

"Ally, why would you behave like that in front of your family and your future in-laws?" Penny began. Ally looked at her.

"I'm sorry, mom. I guess I was just a little hot-headed in there." Ally explained with a shake of her head. They were silent for a moment.

"Is something wrong, honey? You know you can tell me if something's bothering you." Penny offered, placing a hand on Ally's shoulder. Ally shook her head.

"I don't know, mom. Maybe you having a new husband is a lot for me to stomach." Ally explained in a mutter.

"I understand that. But we have to be adults about things like this, don't we? Paul makes me really happy, Ally. And I know you'll like him too once you get to know him." Penny said. Deep down, Ally knew her mother was right. But nothing, not even her wise mother's words, could shake how she felt about the whole situation.

"You're right, mom. I'll try to be better, I promise." Ally closed. Penny smiled as Ally smiled back.  
"I better go, Austin's waiting for me." She gestured toward the door. Penny looked back to Paul and turned back to her daughter and pulled her in for a hug.

"We'll see you both in a couple of days." Penny said, letting go of her daughter and they waved by to one another.

* * *

As Austin and Ally came into their apartment, Ally placed the flowers from Paul on the counter, caring little about their existence. Austin picked them up as Ally walked away.

"Um, don't you wanna put these in water?" Austin suggested. Ally barely turned around to answer him.

"Hmm … maybe later." Ally said, heading for the bedroom. Austin looked from her to the flowers, and took the initiative to do it himself. He opened a cupboard and retrieved a vase, filling it with water and placing the flowers in it. He placed the vase in the middle of the dining table and began to walk toward the bedroom.

"What was that all about dinner, Alls?" Austin called. Ally threw her bag on the bed, seeing Austin come in a few seconds later.

"What are you talking about?" Ally played dumb, taking off her high heels. Austin laughed softly.  
"You know what I'm talking about. Do you have a problem with Paul?" He pressed. Ally laughed nervously.

"Whaaattttt?" Ally asked in her typical tone, but Austin knew her too well, flashing her a knowing look. Ally sighed.

"Okay, I have a problem with Paul. Is that so terrible?" Ally said, hanging her coat in the closet.  
"But why? He seems like a nice guy. I'm sure if you got to know him…" but he was cut off by Ally's sinister laugh.

"What are you, his new best buddy?" Ally challenged. Austin just looked at her blankly. Ally shook her head.

"Why do I _have _to like Paul, is there some rule on something like that?" Ally went on.

"No … but it would be nice since he is your new stepdad." Austin reminded her. Ally laughed.

"Not if I can help it." Ally muttered. Austin furrowed his eyebrows at her.  
"What are you talking about?" Austin asked, obviously confused.

"I just don't like Paul okay?" Ally nearly yelled.  
"Why?" Austin challenged right back. Ally just looked at him before she responded.

"There – there's nothing wrong with him. He's perfectly fine." Ally gave in.  
"Ally." Austin pressed. Ally looked at him, holding up her fingers to guide her response.

"Okay. Fine. I hate that she got married without telling me. I hate that she had been seeing Paul for almost two years without ever bothering to tell me. I hate that she acts like it's perfectly fine she did all of this. I hate that she found someone for herself and has left dad completely alone. I hate that she made time for Paul and never bothered to spend as much time with me, her only daughter -" Ally suddenly cut herself short, realising she had probably said too much. They were silent for a moment before Austin moved across the room and placed his thumbs on her cheeks, wiping away her slowly forming tears.

"Is this about Paul, or your mom?" Austin pointed out. Ally looked down.  
"I don't know." Ally whispered helplessly.

"Ally, this whole thing is making you really upset … maybe you should talk to your mom about it." Austin suggested. Ally sniffled.

"I can't do that. What would I say? Besides, there's no point telling her these things now. She already made her decision without me." Ally explained. Austin sighed.

"I guess we just have to be the more mature ones." Austin said with a light smile. Ally licked her lips, holding back a small laugh.

"You – mature?" Ally said with a cheeky grin. Austin took his thumbs away and placed his arms around her hips.

"Hey, you called me wise just the other day." Austin reminded her. Ally laughed.  
"Hmm, what are you gonna do now, wise guy?" Ally asked. Austin sighed sheepishly.

"I think I'm gonna show my fiancé a good time." Austin said cheekily, leading her toward the bed.

"Well, I can't say no to a wise guy." Ally played along, letting Austin take her into a deep kiss.

* * *

**I would absolutely love it if you took the time to review. I love reading anything and everything! Just a simple "Loved it" would be great. :) **


	9. Chapter 9: Bridal Party

**Since I will be introducing new friends of Austin and Ally, I thought I'd fill you in on who's who and does what, just to avoid any confusion later. I hope you will grow to love these new characters as I much I do. **

**Without further ado, here is Austin and Ally's bridal party, whom you will meet in the next chapter I will post shortly. :) **

* * *

**Maid of Honour:**

Trish (24-25) – Ally's best friend since childhood. The two grew up together in Miami, until Ally moved to New York with Austin and Trish moved to LA maintain her own management company. Trish is extremely possessive over her friendship with Ally as they have always been so close, and somewhat fears that Zoe has taken her place in New York. She is headstrong, aggressive and forgetful at times, but very protective and caring.

**Bridesmaids:**

Zoe (24-25) – Ally's New York friend whom she met at a recording studio. Zoe is an independent artist who has not gained substantial popularity in the music industry and is signed to an underground record label. On a visit to one of Austin's recording studios with Ally, Ally introduced Zoe to Chase, one of Austin's producers and best friends. They became attracted to each other and have been in a two year relationship already.

Carrie (23-24) – Ally first met Carrie at the beach club in Miami but became good friends with her after she and Dez began their relationship. Carrie and Ally are almost nothing alike, but Ally admires Carrie's humble and colourful personality and has maintained a good friendship with her since they lived in Miami.

Georgia (24-25) – Ally met Georgia during the production of her third album. Georgia is extremely sweet and loving, and is a graphic designer. She designed one of Ally's albums including the CD booklet and the cover art. She is rather playful and cute, and soon gains an interest in Daniel, one of Austin's groomsmen.

Kira (24-25) – Although Ally and Kira were once head to head for Austin, the two grew close and share many similar interests, however for the past three years Ally has heard little from her. After hearing about their engagement, Kira and Ally begin to spend time together once again. Kira tells Ally that she ran away from her home in Miami to be with Kyle, her boyfriend whom her father, the man who formerly signed and dropped Austin from his record label, does not approve of. They rekindle their friendship and Ally wholeheartedly asks her to be a bridesmaid given their strong history together.

* * *

**Best Man:**

Dez (24-25) – Austin and Dez have been extremely close since childhood and consider themselves as brothers. They share common interests and a down to earth nature, and Dez began his film career by shooting all of Austin's music videos. Dez soon moved to LA with his girlfriend Carrie and pursued his film career, directing, producing and filming his own films. He is goofy and at times blunt, but very emotional and caring when it comes to his friends.

**Groomsmen:**

Chase (25-26) – since Austin's fourth album, Chase approached Austin about producing some of his songs - that is - coming up with electronic beats for Ally's writings. He is rather quiet but an extreme talent with a drive for electronic music. He sports tattoos on both of his arms, caps and even an ear piercing. Despite his intimidating looks, he is very mellow and is obviously crazy about Zoe.

Daniel (24-25) – On the day Austin moved into his apartment, Daniel offered to help Austin move in. He saw Austin's huge collection of video games and insisted on playing them. Since then the two regularly hang out if not every day and even play basketball together on a team. Daniel is quite loud and loves to have fun. While Austin and Chase are in committed relationships, Daniel is quite the opposite and is a bit of a womaniser.

Brad(ley) (25-26) – one of Austin's backup dancers when he used to do intense concert performances. Brad is fun and quite soft which Austin's friends usually tease him for. Because of this he gets along with the girls a bit more who empathize with him. He plays basketball with Daniel and Austin as well, and is quite athletic.

Ayden (26-27) – After asking Kira to be Ally's bridesmaid, Austin was more than eager to ask his other childhood friend and cousin, Ayden. They were close when they were young, and upon moving to New York with his new wife, Ayden and Austin became close once again.

* * *

**It kinda sucks I couldn't add anybody else from Miami for Austin's groomsmen, but I can't think of anyone Austin would have been close to, or maintained a friendship with since he was always so close to Dez. awww 3**


	10. Chapter 10: Engagement Party

**Hi all my lovely readers! I'd like to take this time to thank everybody who has been reading my story so far. I love reading all of your reviews, and it would mean so much to me if you continued to share your kind words so I know you're enjoying the story and I should keep writing.**

**Hope you like the new characters! They have some important roles in this story. This chapter is a bit on the longish side, but I've realised, as I have planned out how this story will go, this story will be quite long. Hope you like long stories! ;)**

* * *

"Is it just me, or is the bartender really cute?" Trish whispered as she walked over to Ally. Ally furrowed her eyebrows and looked across the room to the bar, to see a fairly tall, slender, dark blonde male wearing suit pants, a white shirt and a black vest.

"Yeah, he's pretty cute." Ally agreed. But Ally wasn't really interested in the bartender. She was more concerned about all the guests that had arrived for their engagement party.

They had set up their party in a private function room of the Plaza, it had been decorated according to Austin and Ally's chosen colour scheme: red and yellow. She loved seeing the two colours together through napkins, flower arrangements and the cupcake tower. It was like seeing a little bit of them everywhere about the room.

"But guys should be the last thing on your mind, Trish. Go on, I want you to get to know the other bridesmaids." Ally shoved her toward her friends, receiving a glare from her best friend. Ally smirked.

"Yes _ma'am_." Trish replied, mimicking a brief courtesy in front of her before proceeding toward the girls. Ally frowned but ignored it.

Ally joined Austin as he spoke with a few of his relatives in a circle. In the circle, Ally noticed another blonde haired 20-something year old male, perhaps older than Austin, and definitely handsome.

"Here she is, the future addition to the Moon clan. Everybody, this is Ally." Austin introduced Ally as she smiled warmly to her to-be relatives, Austin's parents also standing with them.

"It's so nice to finally meet all of you." Ally greeted, shaking their hands.

"It's not often we get a brunette within the Moon line. This is good, we can change up the hair colour." An older man, presumably Austin's uncle joked. The rest of his family laughed.

"Blondes and brunettes look great together." Austin added.  
"Well, you two do anyway." A woman said, taking a small canapé from the waitress.

"Oh, Ally you remember my cousin, Ayden? When you asked Kira to be a bridesmaid I asked him to be a groomsman, remember?" Austin introduced his cousin as Ayden politely smiled.

After Kira and Ally had first caught up, they had gone shopping together and spent a lot of time together over the month. Ally had felt it only right to include Kira in the bridal party, which she had happily accepted. Afterward, Austin had no difficulty in asking Ayden to be part of his groomsmen, especially since he had felt guilty for leaving him out in the first place.

"Yes of course. Hi! And congratulations, Austin told me the good news." Ally shook his hand as she gestured to him and his wife who was standing right beside him, who was obviously pregnant. A year and a half earlier, Austin had been a groomsman at Ayden and Sarah's wedding, which Ally had attended too with Austin. Sarah was the same height as Ayden, very attractive and blonde. Ally suddenly felt very cautious of her brown head of hair.

"Thank you, we're very excited." Sarah said warmly, touching her stomach. Ayden put his arm around Sarah as the two couples continued to talk. Ally blushed as Austin took hold of her waist.

* * *

Later, Ally stood by the bar with Trish, Zoe, Georgia, Carrie and Kira – the full party of bridesmaids. Ally loved seeing all of her closest friends together, ready to share and prepare for her special day.

"Well, your photographer is pretty rude. She wouldn't take any of my suggestions." Dez complained as he approached the girls. Ally raised her eyebrows at her red-haired goofy friend.

"Why are you giving the photographer suggestions?" Trish pressed, as Ally looked over at the sweet photographer taking pictures of her family and friends.

"Uh, hello? I'm a director?" Dez reminded her, waving his hands around. Trish didn't appear moved by what she was saying.

"What, you think she's seen _Zombies Resurfaced_ for its photographic quality?" Trish challenged in a condescending tone. Dez glared down at her.

"Yeah, who hasn't?" Dez declared.

"I haven't." - Zoe  
"What was it?" – Kira  
"Zombies what?" – Georgia (in unison)

Dez looked down with a sigh, deflated at the response. Carrie flew to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I've seen it. I loved it." Carrie comforted her boyfriend. Dez looked at her.  
"Thanks babe." He replied, walking away from the girls as Carrie followed after him.

Ally shook her head with a laugh and felt a hand on her arm. She looked up to see Kira dragging a good looking dark, tall male behind her by her other hand.

"Ally, I want you to meet my partner, this is Kyle." Kira said brightly, holding onto his arm. Ally smiled wholesomely and shook his hand.

"Congratulations, Ally. Kira always raves about you whenever you're on the radio." Kyle complimented as Ally blushed.

"Well, thank you. I actually owe part of my career to Kira. She let me sing at what should have been her own breakthrough concert." Ally revealed, looking over at Kira who smiled lightly.

"Yeah, dad wasn't all too thrilled about that." Kira said. Ally bit her lip. She did not see such a nice story diverting back to the one topic she wanted to avoid in front of them both – Jimmy Starr.

"Hey, I hope you're excited about our wedding destination." Ally changed the topic. Kyle nodded.  
"Yeah, it should be nice to go back there." Kyle put in.

"You still have to show me pictures of this mysterious Museum and Gardens in Miami I have never heard of." Kira reminded her. Ally laughed. She recalled Kira's fun-loving attitude and interests which included many of Austin's - video games, films and concerts, not like Ally who took interest in art and literature.

"Yeah sure. You know it's near the library." Ally pointed out, still seeing a blank expression on Kira's face.

"We had a library?" Kira repeated, as Ally pressed her lips together and patted her on the back.

* * *

Austin's groomsmen sat by the bar drinking and talking with one another. Dez came to them and sat on a stool next to Daniel.

"Hey man, what are you drinking?" Dez asked, looking at Daniel with his whiskey. Daniel looked at him.  
"Whiskey, you want one?" he offered, proceeding to hail the bartender but Dez stopped him.

"Oh no, I don't really drink that much." Dez explained, making Daniel's eyes go wild.  
"Oh man, you have not _lived_!" he commented. Dez smiled goofily and shrugged his shoulders. "Don't tell me you haven't tried shots before either?" he went on. Dez shook his head.

"Nah, I usually just have beers. Besides, Carrie would kill me if I did those hard drinks." Dez explained. Daniel blinked once at him.  
"All this because you have a girlfriend? Man, now I remember why I love being single! Haha!" he laughed a little too loudly. Dez furrowed his eyebrows as he laughed. Austin saw the scene and came to place his hand on Dez's shoulder.

"Don't take him to seriously, man. When he's sober he's not nearly as crazy." Austin said, patting his shoulder and proceeded to leave again. Dez nodded but was suddenly intrigued by Daniel's words.

"Maybe I should try those shots you were talking about." Dez thought out loud, looking at the bartender. Daniel looked at Dez.

"Nah man, not tonight … Ally said this is supposed to be a somewhat _classy_ party. Let me get you something different, eh?" Daniel offered. Dez smiled willingly as Daniel called the bartender and ordered Dez a foreign alcoholic beverage he had never heard of.

"Maybe, when we have that bachelor party for Austin … we'll go all out and do those drinks. What do you say?" Daniel suggested as Dez drank the last of the new drink, obviously enjoying the last drop.

"Absolutely. But first, get me another one of _these_." Dez said, as Daniel laughed and spoke to the bartender again.

"Daniel is really cute, huh?" Georgia whispered toward Carrie, taking a sip from her diet coke. Carrie looked in the direction Georgia was looking and seemed confused. As she was new and a little slow at times, she couldn't figure out who Georgia meant.

"Who?" Carrie asked, looking around.  
"The guy talking to your boyfriend." Georgia pointed out, as Carrie looked directly at Dez and saw the back of the boy he was talking to.

"How can you tell? All you can see is the back of him." Carrie said confusedly, as Georgia looked at her with a smirk.  
"It's a pretty good view isn't it?" Georgia said with a giggle as she looked at Daniel's frame closely. Carrie pressed her lips together and shook her head.

_~ with Dez and Daniel_

"You mean to tell me you've only been with one girl your whole life?" Daniel pressed, as Dez nodded happily.  
"Yeah, we broke up while I was in LA but we got back together soon after." Dez explained as Daniel just stared at him.

"Man, you and Austin really believe in this whole one woman your whole life thing don't you? Was there something sickly romantic in that ocean water in Miami?" Daniel asked with his eyes narrowing from side to side. Dez stared blankly and thought about the concept literally for a moment.

"Not that I know of-" but Daniel cut him off.  
"See, I prefer exploring the local supermarket … looking for a new neighbourhood, or trying an exported brand." Daniel analogised.

"So you're the ladies' man? That's funny … I used to call myself the Love Whisperer." Dez automatically whispered the familiar title as Brad came down to sit next to him.

"Did anybody actually call you that?" Brad asked him. Dez went to reply but was stumped.

"You see there was this huge conspiracy about the whole thing while I was in high school … I mean I did also call myself Dr. Cupid …" he explained in a mess as Daniel shook his head. He looked up and gazed across the room to Georgia who seemed to give him a flirtatious look. Daniel was instantly intrigued by her and returned the look.

"I'm gonna go talk to him." Georgia announced, beginning to walk away from Carrie.  
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Carrie warned with concern in her voice. Georgia looked at her.

"I don't know, let's see." Georgia moved forward and walked to the bar.

Daniel looked from Georgia to Brad and Dez and braced himself.

"Watch the master, students." Daniel whispered to them. Brad rolled his eyes.

"I don't really remember asking for a lesson …" he muttered as Dez pressed his lips together and watched Georgia stand next to Daniel.

"I was just telling Carrie that I think you look pretty cute tonight." Georgia opened slyly. Daniel frowned and looked up.  
"Don't use the word 'pretty', that's reserved for you." Daniel replied with a wink. Dez just stared blankly as Brad rolled his eyes again.

"Oh, give me a _break._" Brad commented under his breath.

"That's sweet. So what are you drinking?" Georgia asked, leaning her elbows on the bar. Daniel lifted his drink and swirled it round.

"Whiskey … you want one?" Daniel asked, taking a sip but not keeping his eyes off her. Georgia stared back at him and was about to reply when Ally barged in between them.

"Daniel, can you keep some of my bridesmaids sober? This is supposed to be a classy party." Ally warned, rushing off before he could reply.

"Then why do you have a bar!?" he challenged, as Ally shook her head and kept walking. Daniel turned back to Georgia with a smile.

"So can I get you a drink?" he offered again. Georgia smiled but shook her head.  
"No thanks. I'd prefer talking." Georgia replied, as Daniel just looked at her blankly, unsure of how to respond. Brad leaned in toward Dez.

"He may be good at the flirting and the sex part but talking is not exactly his forte with a girl." Brad explained in a whisper as they observed the silence between the two. Nevertheless, Georgia sat down next to him and she tried to engage him in interesting conversation.

Zoe and Chase approached Carrie who was still standing on her own. Zoe had her hand locked firmly in Chase's while his other hand was occupied with a drink.

"Hey, Carrie. What's going on?" Zoe asked politely as Carrie nodded toward the bar.

"Georgia went to go hit on Daniel … I wanna see how this turns out." Carrie explained. Zoe looked over while at a perplexed Chase who looked directly at Carrie.

"You mean Austin's groomsman Daniel?" Chase repeated as Carrie looked at him with a frown.  
"Are there any other Daniels at this party …?" Carrie asked. Chase shook his head.

"Does she not know him already?" Chase went on as Carrie shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know … probably not much more than me." Carrie said. Chase shook his head.

"What's the big deal anyway?" Zoe asked her boyfriend.  
"Daniel is a player. He has a night with one girl, goes on to a new one the next day. If he breaks her heart then there might be some unwanted drama in the bridal party." Chase explained.

"You can't seriously mean that he's as bad as what you made him to be …" Zoe tilted her head.  
"He's worse. I'm telling you if Georgia is looking for something serious, Daniel is not the guy." Chase said. Zoe looked over to the bar again and thought for a moment.

"I'm sure George will be fine. I don't even think she's looking for something serious anyway." Zoe concluded.

* * *

After the speeches, The full bridal party eagerly waited for Austin and Ally to sit down with them. This was the first time they were all together, so it was important that they started planning many things in advance. Most of the guests had already left, so the bridal party stayed back to talk with one another.

"God, there's so many things to organise. The wedding, the ceremony, the reception, the photo shoots, the dresses, the suits, the flowers, the …" Zoe listed, as Ally held her hand up to stop Zoe from talking. Ally laughed nervously.

"Okay, yeah … there's a lot to do. But I figure that if we just take one step at a time, I won't freak out … right?" Ally suggested, turning to Austin for comfort in her words. Austin smirked at her and placed his arm around her waist.

"Don't worry, Ally. We'll get through this one step at a time. It's gotta be done carefully cause I want you to have the wedding you've always dreamed of." Austin said, kissing the top of her head. Carrie smiled at them and mouthed 'aww'.

"_We've_ always dreamed of." Ally corrected him. Austin smiled at her.

"Well, maybe we should go wedding dress shopping as early as possible. Then later we can do the bridesmaids dresses." Trish suggested. Ally's eyes lit up.

"That's a great idea! If all of us girls go in the next few days it would be good since Trish is going back to New York soon." Ally said, looking around the table at the girls. They all nodded along and finally decided to go on Saturday through some boutiques in New York City itself. Georgia looked at the boys.

"And what are _you_ guys gonna do?" Georgia asked. They boys were silent, and turned to Austin who seemed just as lost for an answer.

"I don't know, what do you think, Dez?" he asked helplessly, knowing Dez would not be able to come up with a good answer. Dez opened his mouth, but Daniel leaned over him.

"Bachelor party!" he chanted, holding his stretched out palm to Brad who smacked it obediently. Ally looked at Daniel carefully and slightly turned to Dez.

"Dez, about this bachelor party … I would really appreciate it if there were no strippers." Ally requested, fearing she would receive a bad response. Zoe immediately agreed with her while Daniel and Brad fell into remorse.

"Yeah, I don't want you going anywhere near a stripper, buster." Zoe pointed over to her boyfriend Chase, who threw his hands up in mid-air.

"Hey, I didn't suggest it." Chase defended himself, as Zoe leaned back in her chair. Carrie let out a noise of disgust, thinking about strippers.

"I don't see the point of having a stripper anyway … the idea is to get excited about getting married, not think about why you shouldn't." Carrie pointed out as Georgia nodded. Kira shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't see anything wrong with seeing a stripper," Kira put in, caring little. Carrie gasped as Ally turned to her with her eyes wide open.

"Kira, what are you saying?" Ally questioned her. Kira laughed, still seeming firm on her viewpoint.

"What's the big deal, Alls? Those people know what they're doing. And I think you should have enough trust in your partner to know that they wouldn't do anything stupid." Kira explained, soon turning to Kyle with a sincere look on her face. Kyle smiled at her crookedly. Zoe laughed.

"Wow, you have an awful lot of trust, Kira." Zoe commented. Kira shrugged her shoulders and kept smiling lightly. Trish sighed.

"I think I have to agree with Kira." Trish said regretfully. Ally leaped back in her chair, her eyes now bugged at out at her maid of honour.

"What?" she said, trying to calm her tone as much as possible.  
"Well, if Austin doesn't have one … that means you can't either." Trish pointed out. Ally pressed her lips together, obviously unmoved by her comment.

"I'm okay with that." Ally replied slowly. Trish looked somewhat distraught by her answer. Ayden leaned over the table.

"I personally didn't have a stripper at mine." Ayden put in. Sarah smiled.  
"But I don't think I would've minded if you did. I mean, you wouldn't do it again." Sarah added, as Ayden looked at her. Ally looked at both of them carefully. There was no way she would change her mind about this. A silence filled the table for a split second.

"Are we getting strippers or not?" Daniel cried, his eyebrows furrowed and slightly anxious in tone. Everybody turned to him, but only Ally and Zoe were quick to respond.

"No!" they both replied in unison, leaving a deflated look on Daniel's face. Austin turned to Ally.

"I don't care what happens. Whatever you want is cool." Austin assured her. Before Ally could respond, Daniel quickly intervened.

"Dude, you don't have to be a pushover already … you're not married to her yet." Daniel reminded him. Austin shook his head but turned to Ally reassuringly. Ally kissed him on the cheek.

"You … need to be quiet." Zoe warned Daniel with a stern look in her eyes. Daniel laughed it off, but upon seeing her eyes once again he quickly sat still in his chair. Ally sighed.

"So, shopping on Sunday morning then?" Ally confirmed, glancing over at her bridesmaids. They all nodded. It was Friday night, and Trish would be leaving Sunday evening so Sunday morning seemed like the only good time to at least start looking.

As they all began to put on their coats and began to say their goodbyes, Ayden approached Austin and Ally with his pregnant wife.

"Guys, I hope you understand that as much as I'd like to help with the wedding …" he began, but Austin cut him off.

"Ayden, don't worry about it. Sarah and the baby need you right now." Austin filled in the words ready to leave Ayden's lips.  
"Absolutely. We'd just like you to come to the rehearsal dinner to prepare for the ceremony. There is 100% no pressure." Ally went on politely. Ayden smiled with appreciation, and so did Sarah. Ally beamed and stood closer to Sarah.

"We didn't even get to talk!" Ally said, looking at Sarah who was glowing. "When are you due?" she asked excitedly.

"Only five months to go." Sarah replied with a wide grin. Ally grinned back at her and immediately turned to Austin.

"This is so exciting! I'm gonna be an aunt!" Ally exclaimed, as they all laughed.

Putting their coats on, Dez turned to Daniel.

"So, you're pretty bummed out about the stripper, huh?" Dez asked, straightening his coat collar. Daniel had a dark look in his eyes.

"I'm not giving up yet, man." he replied. Chase slapped his palm on Daniel's shoulder, Brad next to him.

"We need to get you a girlfriend." Chase said. Chase placed his arm around Dez and headed for the door with Brad, leaving Daniel who soon ran to walk with them too.

* * *

**Follow, favourite, review ... pleaseeeeee.**


	11. Chapter 11: Our Reflection

**Wow. So I'm really getting attached to writing this story - I spent all of today literally making a playlist of songs that could potentially be Austin and Ally's wedding 'first dance' songs. I have **_**so many **_**that would be perfect, and I can't stop listening to the playlist. Do you think the song should be an original from Austin and Ally, or a song outside from that? My playlist is based on the latter, cause I have another idea that there will be a video played at their reception and the soundtrack will be an Austin Moon song. **

**Anywho, I'll be posting the playlist here closer to when we get to the wedding itself. I need to read your votes and everything for that so pleaseeee keep updated and actively review! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own You and I (Nobody In The World) by John Legend. I am using it purely for fanfiction and entertainment purposes. **

* * *

"Wow, this one is absolutely _stunning_." Georgia observed, showing a beautiful wedding dress in a magazine to Carrie. Carrie peered over to look at it and flew her eyes wide open.

"Yeah, that is really pretty. But if you ask me wedding dresses should be colourful … like rainbows. I mean, everybody wears white to their weddings … why not something colourful?" Carrie rambled. Georgia pressed her lips together as she listened to Carrie. Zoe approached the two of them, kneeling down to the rich fabricated sofas they were sitting on, Kira following after her.

"You can have any colour you want at your wedding, sweetie. There's no law against it or anything … it's just an old tradition so most women choose to wear white." Zoe assured the tall blonde. Carrie grinned.

"You really think so?" Carrie asked. They both smiled at her reassuringly. Kira placed her hand on Carrie's shoulder.  
"Absolutely." Kira said. Carrie smiled at her but they turned to the laughing Trish.

"Sure, if you're planning have your wedding at a circus." Trish laughed, walking over to the beautifully draped dressing room which Ally stood behind. Georgia, Zoe and Trish looked at Trish, beginning to laugh but stopped for Carrie's sanity. But Carrie's face didn't change, she continued to look just as excited.

"You can do that?" Carrie repeated, as Trish raised an eyebrow at her and Zoe and Kira turned to her, just as confused.

Just at that moment, a small hand peered from behind the drape and soon Ally emerged to the waiting room, smiling lightly as she walked in wearing a full-sleeved white wedding dress. There were gasps coming from the sofas, and Trish just smiled purely as Ally came between all of her friends.

"Ally, it's absolutely beautiful." Kira complimented, clutching her hands together to her chest. Ally pressed her lips together and turned to look in the three way mirror above the platform just offside to them.

"Do you really think so? Do you see me marrying Austin in this?" Ally asked out loud, stepping up to the platform and turning from side to side to look at the dress at all angles. Kira immediately agreed with her, but Trish stepped up on the platform and let out a noise of reconsideration. She fixed the tail and looked at Ally in the mirror.

"You don't think so?" Ally asked Trish, not offended but not exactly thrilled either with Trish's response. Trish opened her eyes wide.

"Alls, the dress looks absolutely perfect on you," Trish assured her, making Ally smile. "But you've never been a full sleeve dress kinda girl … I always pictured you wearing a sleeveless gown to your wedding." Trish suggested. Ally nodded, thinking for a moment and looking in the mirror again. Zoe approached the platform.

"Yeah, but is that so bad? I mean, on your wedding day you could wear something completely out of your style … something different, something only meant for that day." Zoe pointed out. Ally tilted her head and continued to look in the mirror. Trish laughed in a condescending tone.

"Aha, I think Ally should wear something that has always been her style." Trish confronted Zoe, who raised her eyebrows at her.

"Oh? What do _you_ think, Ally?" Zoe asked, as Ally turned around to her two friends, laughing under her breath nervously.

"Umm … ha ha, how about a compromise?" Ally suggested, waving her hands in the air.

"Cap sleeves!" Carrie cried, throwing one hand in the air as the three girls blankly stared at her. Carrie slowly brought her hand down and smiled anxiously. Kira stepped forward.

"You know, that's not a bad idea. Ally, maybe the woman can find you something sleeveless and lace." Kira suggested, as Ally quickly stepped down from the platform and stood next to Kira.

"That's a great idea, Kira." Ally chimed, calling for the shop attendant to help her. Zoe turned to Trish.

"You don't like me, do you?" Zoe asked quite slowly, scrunching her eyes as she spoke. Trish looked at her and laughed nervously.

"Ha! Whattttt?" Trish asked. Everybody knew too well that meant she was nervous. Zoe tilted her head to her and Trish sighed.

"Look, Ally is my best friend … and ever since she moved to New York, I feel like I'm getting replaced …" Trish drifted, hoping she didn't have to explain further. Zoe smiled at the corner of her mouth.

"Trish, you're her maid of honour. And you guys have been friends forever, there's no way anybody could replace you … even me." Zoe said, laughing a little as she ended her sentence. Trish laughed with her lightly.

"Do you think you could let me do the advice while I'm here?" Trish requested, as Zoe nodded.

"Sure." She agreed, stepping down from the platform and sitting down next to Carrie.

After a few more trials, Ally finally put her regular clothes back on and grunted as she pulled on her shoes.

"I think I should just get one custom made, or look through some more magazines or something." Ally thought out loud as Trish approached her.

"Then I won't be there when you decide what dress you want." Trish reminded her. Ally tilted her lips to the right before she spoke.

"You can help me find some wedding boutiques online … and if LA has any boutiques, you can tell me about them." Ally suggested, making Trish grin.

"Actually, I think New York is better for the wedding dresses." Zoe intervened. Trish looked at her blankly, not exactly in a glare, but she was still uncomfortable with Zoe's comments. Zoe noticed and stood back.

"Anyway, I should probably take you and Carrie to the airport. I didn't realise this would take so long ... and I didn't even find anything." Ally complained, shaking her head. Carrie approached her and smiled.

"Don't worry about it, it was a lot of fun," Carrie beamed with a huge grin. Ally turned to her slowly.

"_Fun_? Me trying on countless dresses and still not finding the perfect one was _fun_?" Ally repeated darkly, making Carrie take one step back at a time as she spoke. Kira ran to Ally and placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Ally, don't worry … we're gonna find the perfect dress for you." Kira promised her. Ally looked at Kira and exhaled slowly, trying to calm herself.

"You're right … you're right. I'm gonna find it. There's no reason to freak out … it'll all be fine." Ally vented, breathing in and out.

* * *

Ally drove her car up into a JFK airport parking lot and quickly took Trish and Carrie through to the domestic departures. It was almost six pm in the evening as they approached the check in and found Dez and Austin. Carrie ran to Dez and slowly collapsed in his arms. Ally approached her fiancé with a smile and Austin pulled her close to kiss her on the cheek.

"Hey, did you find the perfect wedding dress?" Dez asked, smiling goofily as Ally glared at him.  
"I _don't_ want to talk about it." Ally remarked, looking away from Dez. Dez looked at Carrie with worry in his eyes.

"What'd I say?" he asked, as Carrie ran her hand up his shoulder.  
"You didn't find a dress?" Austin looked down at Ally who shook her head, still looking away. Austin pulled her closer and rubbed her arm. "Hey, it's fine. You don't want to rush into buying your dress, take your time and keep looking." Austin suggested, as Ally half smiled at him.

"Yeah, don't worry about it, Ally. We're going to find your dress very soon," Carrie declared, looking over at a slightly smiling Ally. Carrie turned back to Dez with a gleam in her eye.

"But the good news is that we can have a wedding at a circus!" she said happily, as Dez fell silent and began airing his shirt. Trish laughed.

"Yeah, be sure the place has a fire extinguisher. Looks like Dez is already getting a little hot." Trish observed with a laugh, as Dez took a sip from his large water bottle.

"You know … I-I find wa-water is one of nature's litt-ttle gift-ts …" Dez stammered, as Carrie looked intently at him. Ally turned to Trish.

"I'm gonna miss you Trish," Ally farewelled wholeheartedly, taking Trish in her embrace. "It was nice having you with me and helping me the past couple of days." she said, still hugging her. Trish let go and looked at her.

"Yeah, I'm gonna miss you too, but hey maybe your mom can help out too." Trish suggested. Ally licked her lips and looked down toward the ground.

"Maybe … are you sure you can't move to New York? It'd be so much better if we were together during the preparations." Ally said, obviously requesting again. Trish made a tight line with her lips but looked to the side. Ally's eyes flew open as she observed Trish's thought process.

"I'll seriously look into it. I want to help as much as I can." Trish said, nodding excessively. Ally beamed and hugged her again. The group exchanged hugs and goodbyes, and Austin and Ally began to leave when they had gone to their gate.

* * *

"I'm telling you, Austin. Not one of those dresses looked good on me. I looked fat in some, too skinny in others, pale in other ones … it was _completely_ ridiculous." Ally vented, dropping her bag on the sofa and heading for the bedroom as Austin followed after her. He shook his head.

"Now _that_ is not possible. You look absolutely perfect in everything. Any hairstyle, any dress, any outfit, with or without make up …" he assured her, pulling her close to his body. "Anything." He finished. Ally blushed.

"That's sweet ..." Ally replied. Austin leaned back from her, grabbed her hand and took her over to the full length mirror in the corner of their bedroom.

"I don't see any flaw in this picture. Everything is absolutely perfect." He said, pointing at the blushing Ally and speaking to her reflection in the mirror. Ally laughed but remained silent.

"You still don't believe me do you …?" Austin concluded, as Ally sighed heavily.

"I wish I saw myself the way you do." Ally whispered, looking down. Austin took her chin with his thumb and finger, looking carefully into Ally's eyes.  
"Me too." He whispered softly, kissing the top of her head.

Half an hour later, Ally lay strewn across the bed in her day clothes, sleeping. She felt so tired after the weekend she couldn't help but take an evening nap. She wasn't usually one for evening naps but her fatigue insisted on it.

* * *

"Ally … Ally? Baby … wake up." A low, beautiful voice whispered, slightly shifting Ally to wake her from her sleep. Ally squirmed but soon opened her eyes very slowly.

"Austin? What is it? Is something wrong?" she asked, trying to wake herself up. Austin kneeled down in front of the bed's foot and looked into her droopy eyes.

"We need to start practicing our first dance as a married couple." He announced quite calmly. Ally furrowed her eyebrows and looked at him.

"Already? But it's so far away … and you're a great dancer. I'm sure I can follow you when we dance." Ally replied, still lifting her eyelids up and down. Austin sighed.

"You're really not good at taking a hint, are you?" he said with a light laugh. Ally looked at him confusedly.  
"Huh?" she questioned. Austin shook his head with a sigh and held out his hand.

"Just come on." He insisted, as a confused Ally took his hand and they headed for the closed bedroom door.

"Austin, what are you-" but she was cut off when Austin opened the door to reveal their living room fully covered by candles.

On the stereo, Ally could hear one of their favourite artists from when they were teenagers – John Legend. His song _You and I (Nobody in the World) _began to play. Ally smiled at the room, hardly able to contain her emotions. Austin stood before her, still clutching to her hand.

_You fix your make up, just so  
Guess you don't know, that your beautiful  
Try on every dress that you own  
You were fine in my eyes, a half hour ago_

"Just let me dance with the most perfect girl in the world." Austin requested, as Ally smiled and let him take her to the centre of the living room.

_If your mirror won't make it any clearer  
I'll be the one to let you know_

Austin brought her close to his body, taking hold of her waist, and swaying her from side to side. As the song played, Ally leaned her head against his chest and they rocked, just enjoying the atmosphere and each other's company.

_Out of all the girls  
You're my one and only girl  
Ain't nobody in the world tonight_

_All of the stars, you make them shine like they were ours  
Ain't nobody in the world but you and I  
You and I  
Ain't nobody in the world but you_

"I love you so much, Austin." Ally whispered, almost crying, the song's lyrics filling her mind. Austin kissed the skin he could reach behind her ear.  
"I love you." Austin replied.

Still holding tight to him, Ally brought her head up to look into his eyes, and slowly crashed her lips into his. Austin responded back willingly, moving his hands down her back and soon Ally again leaned her head on his shoulder as Austin leaned his chin on her neck.

* * *

**QOD: What Austin Moon song would be best for the video at the reception? I think it would be between 'Without You', 'Better Together', or 'I Think About You'. You vote! **

**Please follow, favourite and review if you liked this chapter! Love you all! :) **


	12. Chapter 12: About a Dress

**Oh gosh I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long! I've been really busy at home and stuff. So to make it up to you I'm posting a longer than normal chapter for all of you. **

**Thank you so much for the reviews and suggestions on my last chapter! I think I've chosen what song(s) I'm going to use for the reception video, hopefully I can please most of you! **

* * *

A month later, Ally ran into the living room of her apartment practically jumping up and down. Austin widened his eyes at her excitement, turning down the volume on the TV.

"Something up, Alls?" he asked. Ally laughed, flashing Austin's favourite smile as she calmed herself down and breathed carefully.

"I just got off the phone with Trish. She's moving here in two weeks!" Ally exclaimed, thumping her heels on the ground one at a time. Austin got up immediately and held Ally by the arms.

"Seriously!? That's awesome! Is she moving here for good?" Austin asked. Ally stopped jumping but remained with a smile stained on her lips.

"No, she's just coming to help with the wedding. She's found an apartment, and she's begun doing most of her management online. She's also found some talents that are looking for managers here in New York." Ally explained. Austin beamed in excitement.

"That's so awesome! I wish Dez …" but Ally stopped him in the middle of his sentence.  
"Trish said she's getting close to convincing Dez to move here too, Carrie as well. I think they'll crack down if we pester them enough." Ally said with a cheeky grin. Austin shook his head, still smiling.

"Man, we have some pretty amazing friends." Austin commented. Ally tilted her head to the side.  
"Yeah. But I know I'd do the same for them." Ally replied as Austin nodded.

"So, when is she coming?" Austin asked.

"Well, first she has to pick up the wedding dress I trialled here. I ordered my size and adjustments and they said they would send it to their LA chain. So Trish is gonna bring it with her when she comes." Ally explained. Austin's eyes lit up.

"You found a dress?" he asked warmly. Ally nodded bouncily.  
"Yeah, finally. Now we all have to go bridesmaid dress shopping." Ally replied. Austin smirked at her.

"If you ask me you look best with no dress on." Austin whispered darkly, leaning his nose into her cheek. Ally blushed, pressing her lips together.  
"You're bad." Ally remarked playfully, kissing his lips softly and quickly. Austin narrowed his eyes down at her as she let go, locking their fingers together.

* * *

Trish finally zipped up all of the bags she would be taking to New York with her. She planned to keep the apartment she had in LA, but sublet it to another person until she got back after Austin and Ally's wedding.

When she landed in the JKF airport, Trish emerged from the arrivals exit to see Austin and Ally eagerly waiting for her. Ally ran to her and hugged her tight.

"Trish! I'm so happy you're finally here!" Ally exclaimed, letting go and taking hold of her arm.

"Yeah, it's gonna be just like old times. That is, if we can convince Dez and Carrie to move out here too." Austin put in, giving Trish a hug.

"Don't worry, when I left – I think they were cracking down. Carrie sounded much more eager when we picked up your dress – " but Trish cut herself short and stared blankly into space, suddenly realising she had made a huge mistake. Ally looked at her with concern.

"Is everything okay?" Ally asked with a quake in her tone, but unable to understand why Trish looked like she had seen a ghost. Trish took everything within her to force a smile to her lips. She began to laugh a little too loudly and very nervously.

"Yeah! Everything is fine! I didn't forget anything … I just thought I did for a moment. Ha ha!" Trish replied uneasily, still laughing uncontrollably. But the truth was that she had left Ally's dress in her apartment back in LA … at least she thought that's where it was. She couldn't remember exactly where she had kept it.

Ally nodded with a slow smile, grabbing Trish's trolley and heading for the exit. Trish's mind was in a complete mess. Where the hell was that wedding dress? At that moment, her phone began to buzz and Trish picked it up to see Carrie's name appear on the small screen. Trish shakily pressed 'answer.'

"Hello?" – Trish  
"Trish, hey! Did you land okay?" – Carrie  
"Yeah, I guess. I just realised something terrible." – Trish  
"You forgot the wedding dress?" – Carrie. Trish's eyes flew wide open.  
"How did you know?" – Trish. Carrie sighed.  
"You know how you gave me the key to your apartment for the new tenant? Well when I was letting them in I noticed the dress still hanging in the closet. Lucky I saw it before she did cause the girl looked pretty suspicious …" – Carrie, but Trish cut her off.  
"Carrie, focus! Did you get it back?" – Trish  
"Yeah, it's sitting in my apartment now. Do you want me to send it out to you?" – Carrie  
"Yes, _please_. And today if you can. Ally's gonna wanna see her dress soon and I don't think I can put her off that for very long." – Trish  
"Okay, I'll go to the post office now. Don't worry, Trish. It'll be fine." – Carrie assured her. Trish nodded, taking a deep breath. They both hung up and Trish ran over to Austin and Ally who were waiting by the door.

"Everything okay?" Austin asked her as she ran to them.  
"Yeah, fine. That was just Carrie. She asked if I landed okay." Trish explained breathlessly. The couple nodded and they headed out of the airport.

"I can't wait to see the dress … Should I come over and pick it up?" Ally requested with a huge smile spread across her face. Trish opened her mouth and breathed carefully.

"Uh … are you sure you want to take it to yours? What if Austin sees it?" Trish diverted, jerking her thumb over at Austin. Austin laughed.  
"Don't worry, you can trust me. I won't look at it." Austin promised as Ally smirked at him.

"So … can I?" Ally repeated.  
"Um, let me get settled in first … and then you can come over, okay?" Trish suggested. Ally tilted her head to the side.

"Don't you want me to come over and help you?" Ally asked.  
"Uh, no. That's okay. I'll call you guys if I need anything." Trish said, looking at both of them, heading for a taxi.

"You don't want us to drop you off?" Austin asked with his eyes wide.  
"Oh no, don't worry about it, seriously. I'll call you!" Trish called as the taxi driver put her suitcase in the boot. Austin and Ally looked at each other as the taxi drove away.

"Well that was weird." Ally thought out loud, leaning her head back. Austin shrugged his shoulders.  
"Hey, new city, new attitude. She's probably just nervous about moving to the Big Apple," Austin concluded as Ally continued to watch the taxi leave her line of vision. "Come on, we have to finish those songs." Austin said, tugging on her arm as Ally followed after him.

* * *

The dress had finally arrived in Trish's mail. She opened the box so quickly she sported five paper cuts when she was done from handling the tough edges. She took out the fully covered wedding dress after applying some Band-Aids and took it over to her closet, placing it neatly on the high bar.

It had been extremely difficult to keep Ally from wanting to see her dress. But Trish had somehow convinced her that she needed the time to get settled and considered herself lucky that Austin and Ally had been busy writing songs over the past few days to ask too many questions. Trish took out her phone and called Ally to come over. Ally immediately told her she was on her way.

"Oh my god, it's even more perfect than I imagined. Thank you so much for taking care of it, Trish." Ally said wholeheartedly, using one hand to hug her friend and the other hand to keep holding the pristine white dress. Trish smiled but broke down rather quickly. She felt extremely guilty for everything that had happened.

"Ally, there's something I have to tell you," Trish began, still looking at the ground. Ally turned to her still smiling, waiting for her to go on. "I forgot to bring the wedding dress with me when I came here. Carrie had to send it by airmail." Trish explained slowly, as Ally looked at her with concern.

"So that's why you didn't want me to come over and pick it up." Ally concluded. She didn't sound angry or upset – in fact she sounded rather mundane, which surprised Trish.

"I'm sorry, Ally. I guess I was so caught up with getting all my stuff here, I forgot the most important thing. I'm really sorry." Trish repeated. Ally sat silent for a moment before she turned to Trish with a smile.

"It's okay. The main thing is that is that it's here, you're here and you got it here for me. I forgive you." Ally replied, breaking into a smile. Trish grinned at her.

"Really, wow! You're the best." Trish said, going in to hug her best friend. Ally hugged her back and sighed.

"I know." Ally said with a laugh as Trish joined her. They spent the night giggling and watching movies on Trish's TV.

* * *

"You definitely made the right choice, Ally. It's absolutely perfect in every way." Kira commented, as she moved from the dress that sat on display in her bedroom for her friends to see. It had been three weeks since Trish had moved to New York. Dez and Carrie had finally decided to move to New York, and Carrie had arrived a few days earlier. She was living with Trish for the time being while Dez was spending his time trying to find a tenant for their apartment back in LA.

Austin was out with Brad and Daniel playing basketball that evening so the girls took this opportunity to gawk over Ally's dress.

"Absolutely. It's just as pretty as when me and Trish picked it up at the store." Carrie added, as Ally laughed at her with an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, cause it _really_ could have changed between now and then." Georgia remarked with a laugh as the others joined her. Carrie just laughed with them.

"And it got here in mint condition, too. I was really worried about sending it airmail." Carrie said, directly looking at Trish who shot her a warning look. Zoe approached them.

"What are you talking about?" Zoe asked worriedly. Trish opened her mouth nervously to answer but Ally stopped her.

"Carrie had to send it here by airmail, it's no big deal." Ally intervened. Zoe looked at Trish.  
"I thought you were supposed to bring it here." Zoe recalled, looking into Trish's eyes. Trish furrowed her eyebrows at Zoe, letting out a short laugh.

"Yeah … But I got really tied up with moving here _for Ally_, I accidentally forgot to pack it." Trish could easily gather that Zoe was questioning her maid of honour authority, so she wanted to prove her wrong. Zoe just glared at her as Ally stepped between them.

"It's okay! The main thing is that it's here. And in one piece." Ally said, trying to calm the girls down. Trish looked away, shaking her head.

"You got that right." Zoe muttered, looking away. Trish stepped in front of Zoe and glared at her.  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Trish asked as Zoe just widened her eyes, not moved by her tone.

"It means that maybe you're not cut out to be the maid of honour, after all. The maid of honour has to take on a lot of responsibilities." Zoe said.  
"What, you could do a better job?" Trish challenged. Zoe pressed her eyes into Trish's gaze, but before she could say another word, Ally came between the two girls again.

"Guys, please. Please don't fight." Ally begged, looking from one girl to the other. Zoe looked at Ally with a shocked look on her face.  
"Ally, she forgot to bring your wedding dress … this just reminds me of how you told me of all those mistakes she made when she was managing you." Zoe reminded Ally. Ally opened her mouth, looking dejected.

"I told you that as a joke … and Trish always comes around. She always fixes her mistakes when she knows she's made one. I trust her more than anything." Ally explained calmly to Zoe. Zoe suddenly fell silent.

"Guys, the last thing I want is for there to be drama between my bridesmaids, please apologize to each other. I want so much for all of you to get along … I love you both and I know you can be good friends." Ally went on, stepping back from the two girls. The girls were silent for a moment, and Trish shifted a little.

"I'm – I'm sorry, Trish. I didn't really mean those things I said. I guess Ally talks about you so much I was trying to find a reason why you shouldn't be … anyway, I know now that that's why Ally loves you. You'd do anything for her and that's the main thing." Zoe apologised wholeheartedly. Trish smiled at the corner of her mouth.

"It's okay … most people get angry at me for my mistakes. Ally's just learned to put up with them over the years." Trish replied with a laugh. Ally laughed as well.

"Yup." Ally intervened with a laugh.

"And I'm sorry too." Trish went on. Zoe smiled at her and Ally pulled them both in to her embrace.

"Yaay! Now I hope we can all just get along and plan my wedding." Ally said, hugging both of them.

* * *

Later on, the girls sat around the living room listening to music and making some arrangements for Ally's Kitchen Tea. It was an old tradition, but Ally had a little English background within her and her mother had always encouraged her to have one. Soon, the door opened to reveal Austin, Daniel and Brad in their basketball uniforms while Chase followed in after them in casual attire.

"So, how was the game?" Ally asked, moving over to Austin. Austin looked down dejectedly, holding a basketball in his hand.

"Not so good …" Brad said softly. Ally raised her eyebrows at all of their disappointed faces.

"Wait a minute … is this that thing you do where you pretend that you didn't win but you really did?" Ally questioned. Austin looked at her with a frown, trying to keep his face in this position as long as possible.

"Yeah it is! We won!" Daniel cried, high fiving Brad. Austin lifted Ally right off the ground and twirled her round, cheering along with his teammates.

"I wish you could have been there to watch us play." Austin said, bringing her back down to the ground. Ally was still grinning wide as he brought her down, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I will next time, I promise." Ally said sincerely, kissing him on the cheek quickly.

"I say we celebrate with some drinks, huh?" Daniel suggested, heading over to the cool fridge. The others, including the girls agreed with him as he took out some beers and lagers from the small fridge.

"I can't. Kyle is probably waiting for me, I'll see you guys later." Kira said, getting up from the couch with her bag and heading for the door. Ally hugged her goodbye and let her out the door. When she walked back, the entire group of friends, minus Austin who was standing in the kitchen hovering over their glasses, were sitting in the living room watching a concert on TV.

When Ally approached Austin, she couldn't help but notice his muscles perfectly outlining his basketball singlet, and gently touched his back. Still facing away from her, Austin shot her a brief glance from the side and winked. Ally smirked at him, wrapping her arms around his chest from the back and leaning her face against his spine.

"We've got company, Alls." Austin reminded her effortlessly, suddenly becoming too lost in her embrace. Ally groaned, remembering, but knew she loved having their friends over.

"But I mean, my fiancé is a pop star _and_ a basketball star. I mean, that's …" Ally whispered, drifting off into a daze as she tightened her grip on his body. She kissed the skin in line with her lips on his back, and Austin suddenly turned around, nearing his face inches away from her.

"We'll get rid of them soon," he chuckled quietly, as Ally formed a tight line with her lips and kissed the corner of his mouth quickly. Austin smiled at her and Ally took a firm grip on his hand, leading him toward the living room filled with their closest friends.

"Man, the way you two act around each other is like we're hanging out with a teenage hormonal couple." Brad remarked with a chuckle. Austin swiftly put his arm around Ally who smirked at Brad.

"You're saying that like it's a bad thing …" Austin replied happily, purposely kissing Ally's cheek with a loud peck as Ally giggled and held his shoulder playfully. Trish groaned.

"I swear it's like it was seven years ago with you two," Trish recalled, shaking her head. Ally looked over at Trish and poked her tongue out at her. Austin sat down on an empty sofa and dragged Ally down so that she sat on his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Here's a question …" Georgia began as the group took sips of their beers and alcoholic beverages. "Who do you think is the next to get married among us?" she asked openly, taking a sip from her bottle and looking around the room. Ally immediately looked at Zoe and Chase sitting close together while Austin looked at Carrie. Carrie shrugged her shoulders.

"Why don't you guys ask Dez? I'm almost over dropping hints to him." Carrie said numbly, letting out a huge sigh before she returned the bottle in her hand to her lips. Ally smiled at her warmly.

"He's not far off. I'm sure our wedding preparations will make things less scary and nerve wracking." Ally told her gently and Carrie smiled at the corner of her mouth. All eyes suddenly turned to Chase and Zoe, making Zoe laugh nervously at the newfound attention.

"Hey, not anytime soon. Let's just worry about one wedding at a time." Zoe stammered, rocking side to side against Chase who looked slightly smug. Ally forced back her smile at his reaction, and quickly glanced at Austin discretely, who just smirked right back at her.

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**This was just a funnish chapter for me. I can't wait to describe what Ally's wedding dress and make up will be, what their decor will be like etc for the wedding! **

**As usual, _please _review if you read, follow/favourite if you like the story as it is so far. I'll love you forever!**


	13. Chapter 13: Coffee & Candy

**Okay, I am sooooooo sorry I haven't updated in so long. I've started classes again so I probably won't be able to update as frequently as before, but I promise I will because I love writing this story and I know exactly how it will end. **

**Thank you to everyone who has been sending love to me and this story, I love reading your reviews so much and feel free to drop me a message any time. Thank you Raspberry Lover for the kind words on this story also, hope you'll enjoy this chapter. **

* * *

A buzz came from the inside of Austin and Ally's apartment, and Ally ran in from the balcony to buzz Trish in.

"Hey, Trish, come on up! The door is open!" Ally called into the intercom, running back to the balcony. She slid the door open again, overwhelmed yet again by the large reflector board and lighting set up covering the corner of their wide spaced balcony. Dez had his large film camera over his shoulder, looking carefully into the lens with one eye closed.

Austin held out his arm and looked at Ally with a smug expression on his face, waiting for her to join him. Ally shook her head and headed straight into Austin's arm, as he hugged her tight.

"That's great, Austin. Ally could you look a little happier, please? That expression is giving me a totally wrong vibe." Dez called from behind the camera. Ally widened her eyes and pouted.

"What …? Well, okay director_,_ _direct_ me." Ally pressed, gluing her eyes into Dez's lens. Dez took his eye away from the lens, looking directly at Ally.

"Uh, I just did." he reminded her goofily, waving his hands in the air. Ally pressed her lips into a tight line, ready to retaliate but Austin tugged on her waist, causing Ally to look into his eyes. He winked at her reassuringly, and led her over to the balcony's ledge. The ledge's wall was completely glass, and Austin leaned his elbows on the ledge, with Ally's arm still in his. Ally looked up at him as Austin gazed out into the Manhattan city skyline, the wind blowing gently in her hair.

"That's perfect," Dez called, moving over to the centre of both of them to catch them close up.

"Who's the enormously happy couple?" Trish guffawed from the balcony door with a cheeky grin. Austin and Ally turned away from the view and laughed at their friend, which Dez caught on camera.

"Oh you know, just some lovesick music duo." Austin joked, flopping his arm around Ally's shoulder. Ally laughed and took his hand to lead him over to the seats.

"Hey Trish," Ally greeted warmly. Dez stopped recording and put the camera back in its case. Austin went to help him turn off the lights and pack up the camera set ups while Ally approached Trish and they went to sit inside the living room.

"So what made you hire the doofus for your video?" Trish asked, landing freely on the couch. Ally sat down across from her and smiled.

"Like it or not, Trish … he's a pretty awesome cinematographer. I'm sure he's going to do an amazing job." Ally defended Dez as Trish raised her eyebrow with a smirk on her lips.

"Did you get to choose a song for the video?" Trish moved on. Ally opened her mouth to answer, but Austin stopped her.

"Yes, but Ally is not allowed to know what song it is yet." Austin interrupted, stumbling into the apartment with the reflector board and placing it against the couch.

"Well fine, I'm not telling you our first dance song either." Ally retaliated, crossing her arms against her chest. Austin furrowed his eyebrows.

"Why not? Don't we have to practice the steps?" Austin reminded her. Ally kept her eyes wide open for a moment, thinking blankly into space before blinking once.

"Well, you won't be finding out anytime soon …" Ally said with an anxious laugh. Austin raised his eyebrow and followed Dez over to the kitchen to make coffee. Trish leaned over the coffee table, obviously to ask Ally something, and Ally leaned forward too.

"You'll tell me, right?" Trish prompted with a cheeky grin.  
"I don't even know what it is yet." Ally admitted in a whisper, sinking back into the couch as Trish parted her lips and shook her head.

Austin brought in a tray of four cups with a small kettle, coffee sachets and tea bags in a jar, a sugar container and milk. He laid the tray on the coffee table and Ally immediately started making tea for herself. Trish approached the coffee table as well with a smirk on her lips.

"Wow, Austin. You've become so hospitable." She observed, pouring some hot water into her coffee mug. Austin got up from his kneeled position and sat in a spare space next to Ally on the sofa, laying his arm across the back of the couch. He just smiled.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later." He only replied, as Ally laughed lightly.  
"Yeah, he's become really good at this stuff. Good thing too, cause I'm never going to be just a housewife." Ally put in, stirring her tea and leaning back against Austin's arm. Austin tilted his head back slightly and raised his eyebrows.

"I wouldn't expect you to. Family is a joint effort." Austin declared, leaning in to kiss Ally on the cheek.  
"Right." Ally replied, kissing him right back on his cheek as Austin blushed. Dez took his coffee and crossed his legs as he leaned back on the sofa.

"Aww, you two act just like a married couple." Dez said romantically, grinning widely at the both of them. Trish turned to him with a sinister look on her face.

"They kinda already are." Trish reminded him. Dez blinked at her once.  
"You're right …" he agreed, then abruptly turned to Austin and Ally. "Why are you two getting married again?" Dez waved his hands around the couple, leaning his chin on the palm of his hand. Austin chuckled, but Ally did not seem amused.

"Um, to celebrate our love? To start the next chapter of our lives? To prove our partnership to the world in the most intimate way possible?" Ally pressed, leaning forward to Dez with each statement. She shook her head lightly and looked at Austin who winked at her. Ally, understanding his wink, just nudged him away and rolled her eyes. Dez looked up thoughtfully for a moment.

"Yeah, but I mean if you already know you're going to spend the rest of your life with someone, why put a label on it?" Dez asked, shaking his head. Ally closed her eyes and shook her head violently.

"Are you saying you_ never_ want to get married?" Ally asked. Dez shrugged.  
"I don't know … I mean, marriage is such a stable thing. So stable it's probably boring … and I like the way things are going with Carrie. We're comfortable just-the-way-things-are." He sang at the end, leaning his cheek in the palm of his hand again with a wide grin. Trish raised her eyebrow at him.

"Really? You're _sure_ she doesn't want marriage to be in your future?" Trish pressed, tilting her head to the side as she spoke.

"I mean, she may have hinted it once or twice … But I mean, we're both pretty young. I think we should wait." Dez replied calmly. Trish shook her head toward the ground, getting up from the sofa to retrieve her bag from the dining table.

"Guys are so stupid," she remarked, walking toward the dining table. Austin threw his hands up in the air.  
"Hey!" he defended himself, as Ally turned to him with a small smirk on her lips. Austin glared at her.

"_Anyway_," Trish diverted, coming back from the dining room with her phone in hand. "As you know, you're both currently on the waiting list for the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, which is why you can't put a date on the wedding yet." Trish went on, as Ally nodded and Austin leaned forward, eager to listen.

"I had a talk with a manager there, and she says that it might be possible to move up your listing …" Trish drifted off as Ally squealed in response, a very noticeable glow in her eyes as she looked from Austin back to Trish.

"If you and Austin perform at her daughter's sweet sixteen." Trish blurted out with her eyes squeezed shut, afraid of the response. Ally gawked at her best friend, while Austin remained expressionless. Dez sighed heavily and smiled into space.

"Ah, to be turning sweet sixteen again." Dez said dreamily. Austin smiled at the corner of his mouth with his friend.

"Perform at her daughter's sweet sixteen for a chance to have our wedding sooner?" Ally repeated, narrowing her eyes to Austin.  
"Whenever you want, actually." Trish corrected, pressing her lips into a tight line. Austin gaped at her, but Ally still seemed unwilling.

"Ally, come on, we could do it. How often do we get to perform at private parties anymore? Besides, if we do it … we get to have our wedding _whenever we want_." He emphasised, widening his eyes and nodding slowly toward his fiancé. Ally still didn't appear to be moved, and just slowly turned her head back to Trish.

"I don't think it's a good idea … I mean, it doesn't seem fair to those couples who have been on the waiting list longer than us. I don't think we should." Ally explained, crossing her arms and looking at the ground.

"The waiting list could be up to two years." Trish added bluntly. Ally gawked at Trish and Austin shook his head.

"All right that's it, we're doing the gig." Ally announced, rising from her seat.  
"Yes!" Austin chimed in.

"Cool, we're gonna have to go back to Miami, but we can make a trip out of it. And maybe we can get some shopping done while we're there." Trish said. Ally nodded.

"Yeah, and this will be a good time for us to kinda get a rundown on what this place is like. Austin has never been there." Ally added.

"I'm coming too. I think it would be a great idea to get some before shots of both of you at the wedding location. It'd have a great effect on your wedding video," Dez put in, rising from his seat and putting his hands on his hips. Ally and Austin smirked at their friend.

"Bet your photographer didn't think of that, did she?" he pressed, looking away from them with a proud expression on his face. Trish laughed.

"Are you still sore that they didn't pick you to be their photographer?" Trish asked. Dez chuckled once bitterly.  
"Ha, no." he said flatly. Austin approached his best friend and put his arm around his shoulder.

"Dez, you know you're our photographer. We've got both of you for this wedding." Austin assured him, patting his shoulder. Ally nodded sincerely.  
"Absolutely. We have two photographers." Ally put in. Dez beamed boyishly.

"Awesome! But, I'm the primary photographer, right?" he asked confidently, looking away from them. Ally narrowed her eyes at Austin who just gave her a pleading look.

"Sure." Ally said with a flat expression. Dez pulled his fist down to his stomach from mid-air.  
"In your face – other photographer!" Dez yelled, obviously unsure of what her name was. Ally shook her head.

"Her name is Sophie." Ally reminded him.  
"Whatever." Dez waved her off and sat back down for his coffee.

* * *

Trish hopped out of her small back hatchback car and approached her new apartment building. She had only been living there for three weeks so far, but she was growing to like New York. It was a change from the warmer climate she was used to from Miami and Los Angeles. She took her apartment keys out of her bag and swiped her security key against the system, opening the door and proceeding over to her mailbox.

She skimmed though her mail, smiling that she had some paperwork to sort through for her new clients. Trish preferred to be kept busy, especially when she didn't have a boyfriend. While that wasn't always often – she had to admit – being without a boyfriend made her feel a little lonely. While she loved her best friends, their perfect relationships made her a little jealous at times.

"Ugh!" Trish muttered under her breath, gagging a little as she finished the thought. Was she really jealous of _Dez_? She slammed her mailbox shut and locked it, heading for the door when a voice stopped her.

"Trish De la Rosa?" a very familiar voice called from behind her. Trish's heart skipped a beat … it couldn't be … could it? She turned around slowly and looked straight into his big brown eyes.

"_Jace_?" even though she almost knew it before she laid eyes on him, it was too bizarre to fathom. He flashed a preppy crooked smile at her and shook his head. So, the disbelief was shared, Trish thought. Trish glanced down at him quickly. She hadn't seen him for a very long time, but he had barely changed. He'd lost a little weight, his hair was cropped quite short, and he wore a pair of faded jeans and a navy blue zip-up hoodie.

"In the flesh," he laughed, holding his arms up. "But what are you doing here? I didn't know you were living in New York." Jace said, moving a little closer to her. Trish sighed quietly. It felt nice to be speaking with him again.

"I haven't been here for long – three weeks actually. I'm here basically to help plan and organise Austin and Ally's wedding." Trish explained. Jace gaped at her but continued smiling brightly.

"I always knew those two would end up together. Send my congratulations to them." He said warmly. Trish smiled back at him and nodded.  
"I will." She replied. Jace approached his own mailbox and opened it with his key, retrieving a bunch of magazines – extreme sport ones of course, and a few bills.

"So are you gonna tell me what you're doing here? I never thought _you'd_ be living in the city of all places." Trish commented. Jace shut his mailbox and looked down a little.

"Yeah, um …" he began, but a loud bang of the front door interrupted them. Trish looked up to see a girl with chest length blonde hair and bright blue eyes come through, struggling with only three grocery bags.

"Jace! So I couldn't find the baby carrots so I had to get the plain ones, which by the way, probably won't taste as good when we're making …." She drifted off when she came into eye contact with Trish – obviously observing that the two of them were having a conversation. Trish looked her up and down quickly, already disliking her. She was just Jace's height, wearing a dress that came down to her thighs with a red leather jacket. She was definitely younger than them both, probably only 20.

"Who's this?" she asked with a syrupy sweet voice. Jace sighed and looked from the girl to Trish.  
"This is Trish, an old friend. Trish, this is Candy … my girlfriend." He introduced them both. Trish gagged in her mouth. _Candy? _Really? Despite her thoughts, Trish faked a warm smile and waved her hand generously in the air.

"Nice to meet you." Trish greeted. Candy half-smiled and looked at Jace again.  
"How do you know her?" Candy asked. Trish raised her eyebrow and looked at Jace.

"She was touring with Austin Moon a while back and I met her and her friends while they were in Albuquerque. That's how we got to know each other." Jace explained. Trish gazed just offside from Jayce and remembered seeing him perform one of his life-threatening stunts the first time she saw him.

"Is that all – you were just friends?" she pressed. Trish rolled her eyes.  
"No, we used to go out. Nothing you should worry about." Jace assured her. But if Trish knew Jace well enough, that wasn't his most sincere tone. Candy apparently didn't know this and sighed squeakily, taking Jace's arm in her own.

"Well in that case, it was nice to meet you too, Trish." Candy said, pulling Jace toward the elevator. Trish watched them leave and couldn't help but think that the relationship was one-sided. She definitely didn't feel jealous … well, much. Of course she would be jealous. He was her ex-boyfriend and possibly the longest relationship she had ever had.

Trish shook her head and clutched to her paperwork. There was no time – or at least she didn't want any time – to think about Jayce and his sun-kissed overly pretentious girlfriend. She had way too many things to worry about right now.

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**Ooohhh a TWIST! Hahaha who else was really fond of the Trish/Jace ship? I thought they were so cute and it's kinda heartbreaking that both Dez and Trish ended their relationships in season 4. The writers tend to play - if not wrestle - with the ships on this show, don't they!? D:**

**Who's liking season 4 so far? I like it, but for some reason I thought it would be better. To me each season kinda ups from the last one, and I guess I loved season 3 so much I thought the 4th would be amazingly good but it's like ... it's there. I don't know I still love it though!**

**Anywho, PLEASE REVIEW and follow/favourite if you liked this chapter and the story! Hope you all have a wonderful day. :)**


	14. Chapter 14: Going on a Trip

**Hiya! So here's the next chapter. I apologize for it's length but a longer chapter will be up shortly! **

**Hope everyone is having a great Easter break and I hope you like this new chapter. I love writing while listening to music, and right now I've been listening to _so much _80s music. So today's song of the chapter is Poison Arrow by ABC! **

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"_Trish_! You're not ready yet, are you?" Ally practically barged into Trish's apartment with a roar of thunder in her every step.

A worried Austin followed behind her, trying as best he could to stay calm as his fiancé sauntered straight into her best friend's apartment.

The sound of a suitcase zipping up came from the bedroom, and Austin pursed his lips, knowing Ally would explode any minute. Going back home to Miami with their best friends should have been exciting, but poor Ally and her bride-to-be nerves were besting her. She dropped her bag on the dining table and stormed into Trish's bedroom.

"I _knew_ you would make us late! Come on! Where's your travel wallet?" Ally bellowed. Austin heard drawers opening and zips closing as he turned around to another sound of the doorbell ringing.

"Austin, could you get that? I buzzed in Dez as well when you guys were coming up." Trish called from the bedroom.  
"On it!" he yelled back, jogging back to the door and opening it to find his best friend with a colourful suitcase by his side.

"Smile!" no sooner did Austin open the door than did Dez pull up a camera to his eye, a flash going off and potentially blinding Austin. Austin blinked three times, seeing neon spots for a moment in the dark light before he finally saw his goofy friend again.

"I'm gonna be the best photographer known to wedding photographers." Dez said determinedly, stepping into the apartment. Austin was still attempting to regain his sight as he followed him, and saw Trish emerge from the bedroom with her suitcase.

"Yeah, if you don't blind your subjects along the way," Trish huffed, leaving a confused expression on Dez's face. Ally came from the bedroom a moment later.

"Come on, come on, we're gonna be late!" Ally cried, but she barely finished her sentence when she too blinked absently at the contact of Dez's camera flash. Dez pulled the camera down and saw Ally looking absently at him.

"Before shots of our happy couple?" Dez prompted, shoving Austin toward Ally. Austin immediately began pressing his blonde locks behind his ear just the way he liked it.

"All right, come here paranoid." Austin pulled Ally in to his arm like a magnet and Ally looked up at him.

"We're gonna be-" she began to protest again, but Austin pressed her lips together with his fingers.  
"Come on, my hair was gelled just an hour ago." He reminded her. Ally rolled her eyes, knowing all too well that her fiancé's hair looked best an hour after he gelled it.

"All right, quickly though." Ally said, wrapping both arms around his waist and leaning slightly towards him, while Austin held his head high above her, perfectly showcasing their height difference. Dez's flash went off once again and he instantaneously dropped the camera from his grasp, letting it hang around his neck.

"Come on, we are going to be late." He informed them as if the subject was new, moving away from his perplexed friends and heading for the door. Ally laughed in disbelief, but Austin pulled her close once again and they followed him out the door.

* * *

The foursome headed down through the elevator, and upon reaching the ground floor, they were met by a very familiar face. Trish cringed slightly, knowing where the conversation between her friends would go as soon as Jace was out of earshot.

"Jace! What are you doing here?" Austin slapped Jace's palm in a rough handshake, as Jace willingly shook it and Dez's shortly after.

"I'm, actually Trish's neighbour … quite apparently. It's a small world, huh?" he explained slightly uncomfortably, shifting from side to side. Ally immediately glanced at Trish, who moved her feet discretely and looked at the ground.

"But Trish told me the good news. I'm really happy for you both." Jace said sincerely. Ally smiled at him.  
"Oh, thank you so much. Hopefully we can all catch up when we get back. We're heading out of state on some wedding prep …" Ally drifted off, worrying immensely about the time. Jace laughed and looked at Trish.

"This wedding's got you going out of state and in to state, huh?" suddenly gesturing to the whole group. Austin laughed.

"Yeah I guess so." Austin admitted. After a moment of silence, Jace let out a sigh.  
"Well, I guess I'll see you guys soon. Have a good time." He waved, moving toward the elevator as the group waved bye to him too.

When the elevator's bell chimed and Jace was out of earshot, Ally squeezed in to grab hold of Trish's arm.

"Why didn't you tell us Jace was living in your apartment building of all places!?" Ally demanded. They were heading out the door and approaching the taxi Austin and Ally had come in earlier. Trish shrugged her shoulders.

"Because it isn't a big deal." Trish defended herself, handing her small suitcase to the taxi driver. Ally widened her eyes at her.

"Of course it's a big deal. Trish! He's here, in _your _apartment building. That's gotta be a sign of some sort! You two must be …" but she was cut off when Trish held up her hand to her.  
"He's got a girlfriend. I had the pleasure of meeting her last week." Trish explained, a dim expression on her face. Ally creased her eyelids and formed an 'o' shape with her mouth.

"Ugh, what's she like?" Ally pressed, as they got in to the cab. Trish rolled her eyes.  
"The _worst_ breed of our gender. I seriously don't understand how he could have gone from me to _that_." She described, shaking her head.

"You wanna know what I think?" Dez intervened, hopping in to the back seat with Ally and Trish while Austin sat in the front. Trish pursed her lips.

"I really don't." she abruptly stopped him, but Dez ignored her.  
"I think you're still in _love _with him." he said. Austin smirked and turned his head to Trish, waving his eyebrows up and down at her while Ally laughed at the both of them. Trish let out a short laugh.

"Whaaaattt?" she said, looking out the window. None of them said anything, which made Trish turn around again.

"Oh shut up." She finished, looking back out the window. Ally looked down to the floor of the cab and lightly smiled. She hoped quite deeply, that things could work out between Trish and Jace.

* * *

Dez took out his camera as soon as they headed out of their Miami hotel, and peered through the lens, trying to find his friends again. He finally caught them, walking down the boardwalk of a nearby village. Dez began walking backwards to capture them, and gently gestured for Trish to move aside so he could see only the engaged couple.

"How does it feel to be back on the Miami soil?" Dez asked them from behind the lens. Ally smiled and looked off on to the side where a beach could be seen, and Austin swiftly wrapped his arm around Ally's other arm.

"The best." Ally looked up at Austin shyly and held the hand that grasped her arm, continuing their walk.

* * *

**Shortish chapter for you. I'll be uploading the next one shortly. **

**You know what's amazing? Reviews! Please make me smile and pop a review in the review page pleaseeeeee! **


	15. Chapter 15: Sweet Sixteens

**My gosh guys, thank you so much for the beautiful reviews you've left on this story recently. It seriously warms my soul to read such positive reviews and I love when I can make you happy with my writing. I'm going to start replying to reviewers shortly, because there are so many of you I wish I could virtually hug!**

**So anyway, here's the next chapter. ****Looking for another 80s song to listen to while you read this chapter? Of course you are! Haha try Don't You Want Me by The Human League!**

**The actual title I wanted to give this chapter didn't fit in the box so I'm writing it again here cause it's so Austin and Ally-esque;**

**Chapter 15: Sweet Sixteens &amp; Sweet Little Things**

* * *

"Wow, my sweet sixteen was_ nothing_ like this. I mean, there's even a photo booth in the back!" Ally told Austin from behind the stage, peering behind the curtain to see the hundreds of teenagers under fluorescent neon lights. Austin raised his eyebrow at Ally.

"Alls, you didn't have a sweet sixteen, remember? We just went to Mini's and shared all those tiny pizzas." Austin reminded her. Ally turned to him with her mouth open, ready to protest but quickly remembered her own sixteenth birthday.

"Did we have cake?" Ally asked, suddenly shocked by her own memory. Austin thought for a moment.  
"I think we shared a cupcake. We had to write a song for some performance I was doing so I don't think we had time to get a cake." Austin wearily replied, suddenly feeling guilty. Ally remained silent but soon shrugged.

"Bummer. At least my eighteenth was great." Ally remembered, shifting closer into Austin's space as she recalled the night of her eighteenth birthday. Austin smirked.  
"Now _that _was perfect." Austin agreed, kissing Ally's temple. At that moment, a tall man with dark brown hair came through the curtains and approached Austin and Ally.

Ally immediately recognized him as the Vizcaya Museum's manager's husband, the birthday girl's father. He seemed quite nervous approaching the two pop stars.

"Are you ready? Is the band ready for the set? Are the lights adjusted correctly-" he rambled, as Austin came forward.  
"Everything's fine, Evan. And we're more than ready." Austin assured him, as he nodded. Just as Austin assured him, the manager of the Museum came through with a very calm look on her face.

"Jess, we were wondering when you would come to see us." Ally greeted. Jess brushed her aside.  
"Yeah, yeah. Listen our daughter and her friends are getting restless. You both need to get up there now." Jess said, slightly shaky in the voice. Ally suddenly wondered how pampered their daughter would be, demanding two singers for her sixteenth birthday.

"Yeah, come on Alls. Let's go wow those teenagers." Austin joined in, placing his hand on the small of Ally's back and leading her toward the stage.

Austin came out from behind the curtain first, and an eruption of applause and cheer immediately came from the crowd of teenagers. Austin generously waved to the crowd, and Ally soon followed after him. Holding a microphone in her right hand, Ally gently waved to the teenagers as well. The applause doubled then, and Ally swore she could see at least three girls nearing a collapse as Austin waved at them.

"What's up guys!?" Austin called into his microphone as the crowd cheered again. Ally laughed and held her own microphone to her mouth.

"We're really excited to be performing at Renee's birthday! Where are you Renee?" Ally called, as a long-haired blonde girl eagerly held up her hand and jumped up and down.

"A very happy birthday to you!" Ally said with a sincere smile as the others cheered.  
"What do you say we get this party started, huh?" Austin said, holding the shell of his ear, waiting for the crowd to urge them on. As the cheer grew louder and louder, Austin finally clapped his hands in time together above his head, coming back again and again as they timed themselves with the music.

The duo performed a new dance song to get the party started right, Austin showing off some of his best moves while Ally bopped and danced to the beat. As they finished, Austin brought the microphone to his lips again, waiting for the crowd to hush slightly.

"Renee, we'd like to ask you to come on stage." Austin said, looking straight at Renee. Renee beamed and her friends joined her, pushing her forward to the stage. In confidence, she walked right between Austin and Ally. She approached Ally and reached for her microphone.

"You mind?" Renee asked, as Ally hesitantly handed the mike to her. Renee eagerly took it from her and held it to her lips.

"Is this the best sweet sixteen or what!" she yelled, as the others cheered. Austin bit his lip and subtly glanced over at Ally, who immediately knew they were thinking the same thing - this girl was crazy. Austin shook his head and decided to brush past his internal thoughts.

"Renee's right! Are y'all having the best time or what!?" Austin prompted the crowd, as they cheered again. "We'd like to sing this next song for the birthday girl." He went on, gesturing to Ally with a nod and Ally awkwardly moved to Renee.

"Um, can I borrow this for a sec?" Ally asked with a nervous laugh, as Renee looked at the microphone.  
"Oh, yeah sure." She said mildly, shoving it in Ally's fingers. Ally took it and stepped as far away from her as possible. The music began, and Renee immediately began making eyes at Austin, who just smiled at her and held the microphone to his lips.

The next song was a solo by Austin, with Ally backing him up with layers and joining him in the chorus. Renee spent most of her time focusing her eyes on Ally's fiancé, which annoyed Ally slightly but she decided to ignore it and perform heartily for the rest of the guests.

Dez stood behind the sound system to the left of the outdoor stage, adjusting the lights and tuning the voices as well as the sound. Trish approached him, almost bursting into laughter at the sight of the stage.

"Ally looks like she's about to dig her claws into that girl's skin!" Trish hissed at Dez who held one ear phone away from his ear to hear her.

"_What_!? Ally's going to kick who in the shin?" Dez yelled, as Trish stared blankly at him and his mishearing.

"Close enough." She shrugged, taking a sip of punch. At that moment they finished their third song and Renee finally got off the stage to dance with her guests and friends.

The next few songs were upbeat and danceable, and by the end of the night, Dez brought up some high stools to the stage and the duo sang a few duets to get the guests slow dancing.

* * *

When the party wrapped up, Renee and her parents approached the stage to thank Austin and Ally for their time. Renee stood dangerously close to Austin, sliding her arm in his.

"You two gave a wonderful show tonight, I'm sure Renee is more than pleased." Jess locked her eyes at Renee, who seemed to be paying all of her attention to Austin rather than her mum.

"I'd be more pleased if Austin could take me out." Renee stated shamelessly, shocking those around her. Her dad widened his eyes at his daughter, but neither of them said anything. They seemed to both look at Austin for a response. Austin looked up at them and immediately looked at Ally who seemed so astounded she was on the border of hysterical laughter, crossing her arms.

"As flattered as I am, Renee, I don't think I can. I'm kinda promised to someone else." He hinted. Jess immediately stepped in.

"Yes, Austin and Ally are planning their wedding soon. I would stay clear of him, young lady." Jess warned, trying her best to tame her daughter. Renee squirmed in her feet.

"But mom, look at him! He's positively to die for!" she gestured at Austin who just blushed. She turned to him with a dark look in her eye. "I've been listening to your music since you started, Austin." She leered, sliding her arm in Austin's again. Finally Evan had had enough and pulled her daughter to the side.

"We need to put a leash on this girl," he muttered to his wife as Renee squirmed in her father's arms. "Renee, you've got a whole party filled with boys your age. I'm sure you like at least one of them." He suggested, turning her back to the slowly dulling party. Renee tilted her head and scanned the room.

"Ha, you're right, daddy. _Hey Logan_!" she practically yelled across the room as a rather thin dirty-blonde haired boy turned to the sound of his name in utter horror. Renee jumped from the stage and ran toward him, trying her luck yet again.

Evan and Jess turned back to the musical duo and sighed apologetically.

"I know we have to apologize for our daughter … she's a little crazy." Jess said, folding her arms across her chest. Austin and Ally furrowed their brows and tilted their heads in unison.

"_Noooooooo_ …." They half-heartedly disagreed. Fortunately, Jess and Evan didn't seem to comprehend their sarcasm.

"Well, anyway, as promised you two will have priority in arranging your wedding at our venue. If you haven't decided yet you can come in and arrange it or just contact me over the phone." Jess finally offered. Ally smiled as if music came to her ears.

"Thank you so much for that, we really appreciate it." Austin said, looking briefly at Ally.  
"Yeah, you're literally making my- I mean _our_ dream come true." Ally hastily corrected herself, blushing crimson as Austin took her by the waist and rubbed her arm.

"We'll probably come in and organise it tomorrow." Austin finished, as Jess nodded and she left with her husband. As they left Ally immediately collapsed into Austin's chest and hugged him tight, beaming.

"Yes! We did it!" Ally exclaimed. Austin grinned at her and put one arm on her waist.  
"So, early December?" he prompted, as Ally heartily nodded.

"Yup, it's the holiday season. It'll be perfect." Ally agreed.

Trish and Dez approached them then, and the foursome packed up the stage equipment before they made their departure. As Ally zipped up a bag she saw out of the corner of her eye, a group of young girls making their way toward the stage. They approached Austin who had his back to the party deck, and turned around to see the young girls.

"Can we, erm, take some photos with you?" one girl hesitantly asked as Ally burst into a smile. Austin beamed and eagerly stepped forward.  
"Yeah sure! I'll take it, hang on." Austin offered, holding his hand out so the girl would hand him her phone. She shakily gave it to him and motioned for the other girls to get in the photo.

Ally watched them blissfully, but immediately jumped in her spot as two very tall and slender boys, along with another girl came before her.

"Can we get a picture with you too?" one of the boys asked. Ally beamed.  
"Of course!" she agreed, placing her arm around one of the boys as the other took the photo.

The group of girls and Austin then approached Ally and they took a few group shots. Austin and Ally were startled to find that they had somewhat started a trend, and soon all of the remaining guests were taking pictures with the iconic duo. When the hustle finally died down, the foursome made their exit and bid goodbye to the Floridian teenagers.

* * *

The four friends shared an adjoining hotel room where Ally and Trish took one room and Austin and Dez took another. Ally came out of the bathroom in a pair of pale blue pyjama shorts and a white crop top, seeing Trish on her own bed flicking through her tablet.

Ally sat down on her bed and crossed her legs, intently looking at Trish. Trish, suddenly weary of the stare she was receiving, slowly looked up at Ally.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Trish asked, trying to hold back a laugh. Ally sighed.  
"Are you sure you don't want to tell me anything about Jace?" Ally blatantly suggested, placing her jaw in the palm of her hand and leaning her elbow on her thigh. Trish immediately groaned and leaned back on her bed.

"You still on that?" Trish moaned, closing her eyes.  
"Do you still like him?" Ally pressed, obviously ignoring Trish's lack of interest.

"I don't know … I don't think so," she sighed. "I mean, we've probably both changed a lot in the past few years. And he's happy with that girl anyway." Trish explained.

"You mean the worst breed of our gender?" Ally recalled, only able to imagine her.  
"Candy." Trish informed Ally. Ally raised her eyebrow at her.

"I don't have any. We could go get some from the vending machine outside …" Ally drifted off as Trish shook her head.

"No, her _name _is Candy." Trish corrected Ally, as Ally bugged her eyes out.  
"_Oh_," was all Ally could say as the two burst into laughter.

At the moment Austin and Dez came through the room slightly knocking but walking straight through anyway.

"What's so funny?" Dez asked with a huge grin on his face. Trish dulled down her laugh and looked at Dez.  
"Just you." Trish replied calmly, as Dez furrowed his brow and pointed toward himself confusedly. Austin chuckled lightly and held up a small white box toward his chest. Ally tilted her head at the sight.

"What's that?" Ally nodded toward the box, looking back at Austin. Austin smiled and began to approach Ally's bed.  
"Well we were passing a bakery on our way from the convenient store and they were still open so … we got you this." Austin said, sitting down and opening the box to reveal a small red velvet cake, coated with cream cheese frosting and red decorative hearts in the centre.

"A cake? Why?" Ally asked with a huge smile on her face.  
"For your sixteenth birthday. I thought we could relive that night when we all shared a cupcake … especially now that we're all home together." Austin began to gesture to Trish and Dez as they grinned. Ally shook her head with a smile and took the cake out of the box. Austin took a candle out of the packet and quickly lit it after sticking it in the frosting.

"Quickly!" Trish called, concerned for the flame. Austin sat down on the floor and Ally followed after him, sitting in front of Austin cross legged. Austin looked up at Ally.

"Make a wish." He said. Ally grinned and closed her eyes. She opened them to see Austin's gorgeous smile and quickly blew out the candle. In this time Dez and Trish had joined them by sitting down on the floor as well.

"Come on, let's cut it." Ally suggested with a smile, taking out the plastic knife in the box and cutting the cake into quarters. Austin lifted a piece and held it up to Ally, causing a widespread grin to cover Ally's mouth.

"Happy Birthday, Ally." He said, feeding Ally a bite of the cupcake as Ally just looked at him. She held another piece of cake up to Austin's mouth and he bit into it happily, still smiling at Ally.

Dez swung his head around and suggestively looked at Trish. Trish raised her eyebrows at him.

"Oh, you want me to feed you?" Trish asked, taking a piece of cake from the box and stuffing the frosting around Dez's mouth. Dez struggled but licked the remains from the sides of his face as Austin and Ally just laughed at their friends.

* * *

**We never really see/saw the gang of Austin and Ally celebrating their birthdays on the shows. I kinda just coincided with what was happening at the time of their sixteenth year, so hopefully it makes sense. ****Enough rambling! Haha if you're listening to Don't You Want Me than hopefully you'll understand this;**

_**don't you want to review? don't you want to reviewwwwwwww **_

**hahahaha I'm so funny. Nah seriously I absolutely love reading your reviews!**


	16. Chapter 16: Fangirls & Fanboys (Part 1)

**Thank you so much for leaving 100+ reviews on this story! I'm so happy! :D**

**Kept you waiting long enough for the next chapter. Guys I'm growing so fond of this story and I can't wait to write the rest. Haha anyway this chapter pretty much comes in two parts, so I'll be uploading the second part very soon for you. **

**The story of these next two chapters is 100% inspired by an episode of my all time favourite show, _I Love Lucy_. I'm not at all trying to claim ownership to this storyline but I thought this particular episode plot would work really well for this part of my story. If any of you watch(ed) I Love Lucy tell me in the reviews! **

**By the way, up til now I've been using the name Vizcaya Museum and Gardens as the venue at which Austin and Ally will be getting married. However, since it's an actual place in Miami I don't think I should use the title anymore. As a disclaimer for the rest of the chapters that used the venue name, I did not in any way mean to claim ownership of the particular museum and was only using it for entertainment purposes. Hope you can understand! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin and Ally or the characters. Neither do I own I Love Lucy and its episode 'The Young Fans.' **

**Wow that was really long but hope you enjoy! **

* * *

"No Dez, we are _not _getting a jumping castle for this wedding!" Ally cried as Austin took her hand and the group headed through the corridors of the museum. The couple had finally set a date for their wedding – early December, just before the holidays, and right when the weather was a little cooler.

After they had made their booking, the group decided to stay and look around the museum for inspiration and just to pass the time.

Dez pouted as Trish dragged him down the corridors.

"I don't know how this wedding is going to be fun then." He remarked haughtily, flicking his hair away from his face. Trish scrunched her eyes and stared at Dez.

"Can't you have a 'no goofs' sign outside your wedding?" Trish suggested, shaking her head and looking over at Austin and Ally. Ally pursed her lips.

"He's my _best man_," Austin reminded Trish. Trish looked back at Dez.  
"Smart choice." She said sarcastically as Ally rolled her eyes. Dez furrowed his brow and looked down at Trish.

They came by a restroom, and Ally immediately stopped in her tracks, causing the whole group to do the same.

"I'll be quick, I promise." Ally promised, handing her bag to Austin. Austin groaned and reluctantly took Ally's bag.

"I swear, some girlfriends tend to forget that their boyfriends aren't personal assistants." Austin muttered to Dez who briefly nodded.  
"What did you say?" Ally demanded, putting her hand on her hip. Austin widened his eyes in horror and smiled nervously.

"Nothing babe!" he replied nervously, looking anxiously from her to Dez and turning his back to her as the two girls headed inside the restroom.

As the two friends walked along the corridor, a gift shop came into view to both of them and Dez practically shrieked at the sight.

"A gift shop! Perfect! Now I can bring back something truly Miami for Carrie." Dez said happily before he slapped Austin's shoulder and scurried off to the gift shop. Before Austin had time to respond, Dez was out of earshot.

"Dez! You do know you're both from Miami …." He drifted off as his friend immediately became mesmerized by the merchandise.

Austin sighed and shook his head, staring up to look at a few paintings along the wall. He had never had much interest in history, art, or literature … but Ally had always encouraged him to appreciate the history of art and music, especially because his passion lied within it.

At the corner of the corridor, Austin saw a pedestal showing a list of the museum's collections and galleries, so Austin approached it and searched for something related to music. Before he could find anything that caught his eye, a screech caught him off guard.

Austin widened his eyes in horror and turned to see the young girl he had had the pleasure of meeting the night earlier at her very own birthday party. Renee.

Austin internally groaned and moaned and cried and screamed. How was he going to get out of this now?

"Austin! You're back!" she practically yelled in the very quiet museum. Austin held a finger to his lips to shush her, but Renee ignored his request and approached him. On instinct, Austin continued stepping back as she stepped forward, and eventually ended up backing right into the pedestal.

"I knew you'd come back to see me." She leered, beginning to draw circles on his arm. Austin laughed nervously.

"Actually, I came to book my _wedding _with Ally." Austin reminded her, trying to steer away from her closeness. She immediately seemed deflated.  
"Oh yeah … how are things going with you two?" she asked, squirming as she spoke but still running her finger up Austin's arm. Austin chuckled, suddenly amused by her.

"Considering we're getting married soon, I'm gonna say it's going pretty good," he laughed. Renee was not laughing, in fact she took this opportunity to hold both of his arms in her grasp. Austin squirmed, but was unable to move. For a small sixteen year-old she was surprisingly strong.

"So, if you weren't planning your _wedding_ -" she cringed as she paused for a moment. "What would you be doing right now?" she asked, showing a glow in her eyes. Austin shrugged.

"Probably working on music. Or eating pancakes …" he drifted off, thinking about how long it had been since he had pancakes.  
"Oh, that's _so_ cool." Renee commented, beaming slightly. Austin suddenly saw the fan within her, and tried the best he could to see her as just a fan, and not a nut case. He sighed.

"Look, Renee … you're really awesome …" he began, but he was cut off by the sound of another shriek. Austin bolted back, suddenly wondering if he was deaf.

"Oooohhhhhhh you called me awesome!" she squealed.

* * *

"Can you believe how expensive those tampons were? I would never buy one here." Trish complained, waving her hand off at Ally as they exited the restroom. Ally laughed.

Just as they turned the corner, Ally and Trish stopped in their tracks to see Renee moving closer and closer to Austin, the sheer terror in his eyes so apparent Ally didn't know whether she wanted to save him or just laugh. Trish smirked and began laughing quietly, while Ally watched them, still bordering a fit of laughter.

"My life is now _complete_!" Renee screamed again, still looking completely blissful as she stared away from Austin.

Ally began laughing with Trish quietly. The two saw Dez in the gift shop and began walking toward him, leaving poor Austin alone with the crazy Renee.

Austin saw the two of them laughing and an idea struck him.

"Now, look Renee …" he began, but he was cut off when Renee turned back to him and gazed straight into his eyes. Austin left his mouth wide open.

"I'll be right back!" he said before bolting toward the gift shop. Renee stared after him but remained standing still in her spot.

Austin stepped inside the gift shop, but was surprised to find none of his friends within sight. He looked around anxiously, but still couldn't find any of them.

"Ally? Dez! Trish!" he quietly called. He felt a gentle tap behind him and he turned around to find three people with the same mask on their faces.

"Boo!" they whispered quickly.  
"_Ehhhhk_!" Austin let out his typical Austin Moon squeal and jumped back suddenly.

Ally, Trish and Dez lifted the masks and pursued laughing uncontrollably. Austin clenched his teeth and glared at his friends.

"Real mature guys." He huffed, before shoving Ally's bag back in her hands and pulling a still laughing Ally to the side.

"Listen, can you please help, babe-?" but he was cut short when Ally squealed and jumped frantically in her spot.

"Oooooohhhh you called me _babe_!" she squealed, as Trish laughed with her. Ally looked away from Austin as her fiancé rolled his eyes. "My life is now _complete_!" she went on mimicking Renee. Austin came into her view again and brought her clasped hands down with a glare as Ally just remained giggling.

"Seriously. Help." He said. Ally immediately had an idea.

"Why don't you be unattractive? Be angry and mean and unsexy." She suggested. Austin thought for a moment then laughed.  
"I'm a good actor, Als, but not _that _good." He snorted, putting his hands on his hips. Ally glared at him then punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" Austin wailed, rubbing his arm.  
"You deserve it." Ally replied, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. Austin turned back to her, but soon flashed his best Austin Moon sexy smile. Ally furrowed her eyebrows.

"What?" she asked hesitantly.

Austin leaned forward and kissed the top of her head, running his nose along her hair. Ally breathed in once carefully. The effect he had on her should really be illegal. He could get away with almost anything with just one touch.

"Fine, I'll talk to her." Ally gave in without having to be asked. Austin stood back and clenched his fist, bringing it toward his chest in a victorious cheer. Ally groaned and took the mask off of her head, placing back on the shelf.

"_Chicken_!" she coughed loudly before exiting the shop. Austin turned around.  
"You say something Als?" he called after her.

"Nope!" she called back before laughing to herself.

* * *

Ally approached Renee who didn't seem moved at all by Ally's appearance.

"Renee? Hi." Ally greeted politely, holding up one hand. Renee glanced at her.  
"Oh, hi Ally. Where's Austin?" she asked, looking around for him.

"Uh, he sent me out to talk to you." Ally began, before gesturing over to a bench along the wall. Renee looked at her for a moment before replying.

"Oh, well good. I've been wanting to talk to you as well." She said, sauntering over to the bench. Ally stared after her and sighed, sitting down next to her.

"Now look Renee-" but Renee cut her off.  
"Okay, Ally. There's one thing you should know," Renee interrupted her with a fierce look in her eye. "I'm in _love_ with Austin." She said blatantly to Austin's fiancé.

Ally looked at her. As much as she knew Austin would never be Renee's, it still pained her to think that so many girls really did feel this way about him. Austin was _hers_. She glared at her for a split second before calming herself down.

"Right, well … you do know that Austin and I are engaged, right?" Ally tried, knowing it probably wouldn't do any good. Renee laughed under her breath.

"Engagements fall through, you know." She retorted. Ally clenched her teeth and tried to remind herself that this girl was crazy.

"That may be true, but Austin and I really do love each other. I'm sorry, Renee. He wanted to tell you that he's not … ha ha, really interested." Ally began to laugh nervously as she finished her sentence, clenching her teeth together as she spoke. Honesty was always the best policy in Ally's book. Renee sighed.

"Then I guess he won't be able to help me with the dance contest." Renee muttered, leaning back on the bench in defeat. Ally widened her eyes.

"Dance contest?" she repeated. Renee nodded.  
"Every year there's a dance contest at my school, and I figured that if I had Austin as my partner I would win this time, you know?" she explained. Ally thought for a moment.

"There isn't anyone at your school you could partner up with?" Ally prompted. Renee frowned and shook her head.  
"What about the boy you were talking to last night before we left?" Ally reminded her as Renee turned to her with a blank expression on her face.

"Logan? Oh, he's too shy. I don't think he even knows how to dance." Renee said. Ally looked away and an idea suddenly struck her.

"What about if I taught him how to dance? Would you make him your dance partner instead?" Ally suggested. There was no harm in at least trying to get this girl out of their hair the right way. Much to Ally's dismay, Renee's eyes popped wide open in horror.

"You!? _You_ teach him how to dance!? No offence Ally, but I've seen you dance. You're not good." Renee shook her during her blatant response, causing Ally to roll her eyes.

"Fine, if _Austin_ and I teach him, would you take Logan as your dance partner?" Ally offered. Renee looked away for a moment.

"I guess." She agreed, shrugging her shoulders. Ally flashed a brilliant smile and got up from the bench.

"Okay, you organise for us to meet at the park near the Miami Crowne Hotel tomorrow morning and we'll teach him there." Ally said, gesturing for Renee to give her phone. Renee took out her phone and gave it to Ally, and Ally typed in her number.

"Okay, sure." Renee shrugged, taking her phone back from Ally. Not wanting to talk to her for another moment, Ally hurried off toward the gift shop.

* * *

Ally looked around and found her friends sitting at a table in the coffee shop nearby, and ran toward them, plummeting down in a chair. When she sat down, she was out of breath and relieved she had somewhat solved the problem.

"Man, that was tough," Ally breathed, grabbing Austin's water and sculling down the content. Austin smiled.

"So you got rid of her?" Austin assumed with a smile on his face. Ally winced slightly and put the water down.

"_Well _…." She drifted off, making all of her friends lean back, knowing all too well she had more to say. "Not exactly." Ally said.

"What did you do?" Trish charged flatly. Ally looked up at Trish and laughed nervously.

"Well, see, the reason she wanted to dig her claws into you is because she wants you to be her partner at this dance contest at her school. With a little hard core Ally persuasion, I talked her out of tying you up," Ally paused before she went on.

"So I offered to teach that guy she was interested in at her party how to dance." Ally said. After a moment of silence, her three friends burst into laughter. Ally looked around the table and tilted her head. Dez looked like he was on the verge of tears through his laughter.

"You!? What move are you gonna show him first? The rope climbing monkey!?" he suggested in between laughs as the others joined him. Ally glared at them.

"And then I said we would _both_ teach him how to dance." Ally finished, trying to ignore their comments. Austin slowly stopped laughing.

"Good. Cause I've missed teaching kids about music." Austin put in, pulling Ally's chair close to his. Ally continued frowning at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, trying to hide a smile. He knew perfectly well she was upset but he loved to tease her just as much as he loved to love her.

"You made fun of my dancing." She muttered. Austin kissed the top of her head.

"You know I love your dance moves," he replied. Ally looked up at him.  
"No you don't." she reminded him flatly with a sly smile. Austin grinned.

"But I love you," he said. "And I love anything you do." Austin kissed her brow and then the corner of her eye.

"Awhhh. I love you too." She replied with a giggle as he leaned his nose into her cheek and smiled, making her giggle more.

* * *

**Reviews and follows and favourites make me sooooo happy :) **


	17. Chapter 17: Fangirls & Fanboys (Part 2)

**Thank you for the reviews lovelies! I'm glad you liked the last chapter. So this is the second part to the last chapter I posted and I hope you like this as well. **

**I've been re-watching Season 1 of A&amp;A and I've been getting really feelsy. I'm so sad the series is coming to an end soon, I feel like this is probably one of the most well written shows on Disney channel - only because it never lost in touch during the run and continued to shine as each season released. Anyway because I watched season 1 again I've been incorporating a lot of season 1 allusions to the story as I've been writing it recently, and hopefully you'll love the references! **

**Disclaimer: Again, this chapter is inspired by the same episode of _I Love Lucy_, 'The Young Fans', and I am not in any way trying to claim ownership over the episode storyline - I just love the plot and thought it would go perfectly with this part of the story. **

**Similarly I do not own Austin and Ally or the song Who U R by Ross Lynch. I'd just like to take claim on the characters I have created to go with the story. Enjoy! **

* * *

"Would you stop laughing for one minute!? I _know_ I can do this!" Ally exclaimed at the top of her lungs as she failed performing a cartwheel for the fifth time the next morning.

The four friends were hanging out in a park close by to their hotel, waiting for Renee and Logan to arrive so they could teach him how to dance, and inevitably get Renee out of their hair.

In a complete fit, Austin was now laying on the ground from his intense laughter at Ally's cartwheel attempts. He hadn't seen Ally try to perform a cartwheel since the first time he met her, and was thoroughly enjoying her watching her attempts.

"I know you can, Als. Don't stop, its so entertaining." He said in between laughs. Trish sat on the ground next to him and Dez was filming all of Ally's attempts by her command, hoping to catch her first cartwheel on film. Dez peered behind his lens and sighed.

"I'm going to run out of disk space before you finally get it." Dez said as-a-matter-of-factly. Ally just winced but ignored him and went on for Attempt No. 6.

She curved her hands slightly and with all her might, leaned forward to the ground. Astounded, Ally was finally doing a handstand!

"I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" she cried from the ground, the blood soon rushing to her head. Austin immediately got up and held Ally's legs, but still laughed. Trish cackled.

"Ally, you're doing a handstand, not a cartwheel." Trish pointed out with a giggle. Ally's smile immediately turned around in her upside down form.

"I-I can't move." She admitted dejectedly. Austin smirked.

"It's okay, I'll help you," Austin offered, moving behind Ally and going to move her legs back to the ground. Ally moved her hands slightly on the ground to balance herself.

"No, don't put me down, I can do this!" Ally exclaimed, making Austin raise his eyebrow.

"What, so we're just gonna stand here until you finish the rest of it? Ally it doesn't-" but he was cut short when Ally shushed him.

"Shhhhhh!" she cried. For a moment, the two remained in this position, and Austin soon narrowed his eyes at Trish who just shrugged and shook her head.

At that moment Renee and Logan came up to them, and Renee immediately tilted her head to the side to see Ally and her slowly reddening face.

"Is that-" Renee began and Austin nodded.  
"Yeah, it's Ally." He said. Ally sighed.

"Okay, fine." Ally gave in, as Austin turned her legs back toward the ground and helped her up. Ally was red in the face and slightly wobbly from the position, crashing into Austin.

"Anyway!" Renee said, clapping her hands. "This is Logan." She said, tugging on Logan's arm and pulling him into view of Austin and Ally.

He was tall and very skinny, wearing grey jeans, a white T-shirt, a grey and white striped zip-up hoodie and a grey beanie. He looked down and merely nodded toward them, not even making eye contact. Ally looked at Austin worriedly.

"Eh, we've seen worse." Trish muttered to Dez. Austin clapped his hands.

"Well, why don't we get started? Renee, you stand-" he began, but they were interrupted by Renee's loud ringtone.

_Girl you could be my  
once in a lifetime  
So open up your heart  
show me who you are_

As Austin's 'Who U R' played from her phone, Dez immediately started dancing in the spot. Renee took out her phone and pressed answer as if no one was watching her.

"Hello? Oh no, I'm not busy at all!" she cried, moving away from the group and walking back toward the boardwalk. Austin and Ally stared after her, but Renee just kept walking, chattering away on her phone.

"Okay … I guess it's just us then." Austin observed, looking at the still very shy Logan. Ally stepped forward.

"Uh, Logan?" she called, trying to catch his eye. Logan looked up at her wide-eyed, almost frightened at the sound of his name. Ally raised her eyebrows, suddenly worried. He looked as if he was having trouble breathing.

"Logan? Are you okay?" she asked, moving to touch his arm but he immediately backed away nervously.

"Okay, maybe not worse than _this_." Trish told Dez who smirked.

"Logan, say something!" Austin called, slightly worried and slightly frustrated. Logan looked away from them for a moment and breathed heavily.

"I think I'm gonna pass out." He cried, wiping his forehead. Austin laughed comfortingly.

"Oh, you're nervous about dancing? Don't worry there's nothing to be scared of … we're just gonna teach you how to move your feet. Can you do this …?" Austin moved from side to side, the simplest step he could think of. Logan looked up at him.

He gently moved from side to side, mimicking Austin's move.

"There, that's it! Now, do you know what kind of dancing you want to learn? Hip-hop, ballroom?" He prompted. Logan shrugged shakily, and Austin sighed. It was going to be harder than he thought.

"Okay, we'll just teach you some basic steps." Austin said.

"Can you do this?" Austin asked, doing the same move from side to side but in a horizontal and vertical fashion, easing him into the ballroom dancing steps. Logan perfectly mimicked Austin's move, and Austin nodded.

"How about this?" Austin said again, complicating the step even further. Logan was able to follow perfectly, without any hesitation.

"Is this all there is to dancing?" Logan asked, looking directly at Austin as he continued to do the step.

"Yeah, I knew you'd catch on. Now why don't you two try it together?" Austin said, shoving Ally toward Logan who immediately backed away from her. Ally widened her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Logan made a mumbling noise.

"With-with you? Like, just the two of us?" he stammered, narrowing his eyes from side to side. Ally laughed.

"Yeah, that's usually how it works." Ally giggled. Logan looked at Austin.

"Why can't_ you_ show me ballroom?" he asked nervously. Austin widened his eyes.

"_So_ many reasons." He replied, shaking his head. Logan looked toward the ground at Ally.

"Logan, don't worry, I don't bite." Ally laughed, taking his hand. Logan stiffened as she took his hand.

"Okay, ready? One two, three four, one two, three four …" Austin conducted. As Austin spoke, Ally was very aware of how uncomfortable and stiff Logan was.

"Come on Logan, loosen up. It's fine!" she said. But Logan remained robotically moving, letting Ally shake his shoulders but he looked completely sick to the stomach.

"It's okay, just try it again," Austin called, as Ally realigned them both in a starting position. "One two, three four, one two, three four …" he conducted, relying on Ally to guide him.

Soon Logan was slightly loosening up, and Ally smiled widely.

"Logan, you're getting it! That's great!" Ally said, as Logan began smiling at her.

"Okay, you keep practicing, I'm gonna go get a coffee." Austin called, gesturing for Dez and Trish to come along.

Ally smiled as Logan perfectly performed the ballroom dancing steps.

"That's great, we should try it to the music now …" Ally went to release herself from his grip, but Logan tugged on her. Ally tugged again but he persisted, and Ally soon looked at him with a nervous laugh.

"Ha ha ha! Why aren't you letting go?" she asked nervously, clenching her teeth.

"I like it." He replied, smiling brightly. Ally just stared at him.

"Well … good, but we should practice …" she tugged again, but Logan persisted.

"Ally, there's something very important I have to say to you." he said.  
"What?" she replied nervously.

"I've been in love with you ever since your song Finally Me. I didn't have the courage to say it earlier because I was shy, but now ... now I know I have nothing to be afraid of! You've showed me to how to _live_, Ally." He said poetically, trying to be as smooth as possible in his shy skin. Ally smiled through her teeth.

"Oh, well … thank you." She replied, for lack of a better answer.

"I love you." He repeated, seeming a little more relaxed and if fact confident.

"Logan, okay … just relax …" she said repeatedly, trying to shift out of his arms. When she failed to release herself from his grasp, he smiled.

"You know I've never had my arms around a girl before. Now I know all the guys are talking about!" he cried victoriously, making Ally clench her teeth again and look away with a nervous grin.

"Okay, maybe we just need to cool down a bit," Ally suggested, finally able to squirm her way out of his arms. "Do you need water?" she asked, trying to brush past the moment.

"No, I wanna dance some more." He replied happily, going in for her arms. Ally held her arms to her chest and shook her head.

"No, you just dance by yourself. Practice those moves Austin showed you." Ally said, gesturing toward the ground for him to practice.

"Oh, okay." He said, proceeding to practice Austin's moves. Ally watched him and couldn't help but notice he didn't seem too awkward when he danced, he actually had talent for it.

Soon the three friends came back holding coffees and Austin held an extra coffee for Ally.

"Hey, so how's he doing?" Austin whispered.

"Oh, just fine!" she replied too quickly, taking her coffee from Austin's hand.

"He _definitely_ doesn't need any more help with ballroom …" she said. Austin grinned and watched him practice for a moment before he turned around.

"Hey Austin, can you show me some more moves?" he called. Austin smiled.

"Sure!" he replied, running to him and proceeding to show him more moves. Austin smiled cheekily.

"Can you do this?" he asked, doing his signature dance move and adding a little more to the end. Logan shrugged and proceeded to the move effortlessly. Austin widened his eyes and watched him rise back up.

Trish laughed.

"That was awesome!" Trish said. Ally remained with her arms crossed and just watched.

"Are you sure you've never danced before?" Austin asked, as Logan mimicked one of Austin's most difficult dance steps. Logan shrugged when he finished.

"Yeah … well I mean I move around kinda in my room from time to time but, doesn't everybody?" Logan replied. Austin shook his head. Dez approached Logan and put his hand on his shoulder.

"No, no they don't. You have a true gift, Logan." Dez said seriously. Logan widened his eyes then lit up.

"Can I practice some more ballroom dancing now?" Logan suggested, narrowing his eyes to Ally. Ally shot up immediately.

"Yeah I guess …" Austin caught Ally's eye as he answered. Ally curved her fingers away from her palm and shook it toward her chest, signalling no. Austin confusedly looked from Ally to Logan.

"Maybe we should wait til Renee gets back for that!" Ally jumped in, trying the best she could to hide her anxiety. Logan looked at Ally.

"It's okay, Ally, you don't have to be afraid anymore. I'm not." He said shamelessly, causing Ally to gawk at him in horror.

"What are you talking about?" Austin put in. Logan sighed.

"Austin," he breathed, putting his hand on his shoulder, causing Austin to stare at his hand. "I'm in love with Ally." Logan said confidently. Ally put her face in her hands and breathed in, shaking her head.

Austin eyes bugged out and he continued staring at Logan before falling into a fit of laughter. Ally glanced up in surprise at his reaction. Logan looked confusedly at Austin and stepped back, as Ally approached Austin and pushed his arm away.

"What's so funny?" she demanded. Austin stopped laughing for a moment, wiping away the slowly forming mist in his eyes.

"One minute this kid can't even look you in the eye, the next he's in love with you!" Austin laughed again. Ally took his reaction the wrong way and pushed him away again.

"Falling in love with me isn't that funny, you did it once too!" she exclaimed. Austin immediately stopped laughing and protectively put his arm around Ally.

"I sure did. And that's why, I'm sorry, Logan. But she's mine, and she always will be." Austin concluded, bringing her close to his chest. Ally slightly smirked and shied away.

"I'm not gonna stop loving you." Logan said childishly, crossing his arms over his chest. Ally sighed.

"Logan, I'm flattered, but I wish you would. Besides, I know Renee is _definitely_ interested." Ally reminded him. Logan shuddered at the thought.

"Speak of the devil …" Dez warned as they all turned their heads to see Renee prancing over to them.

"Well how did it go? Is he as good as Austin yet?" Renee demanded, putting her hands on her hips. Austin smiled.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Austin suggested, leaning down to his iPod dock and pressing play to an upbeat tune.

Logan immediately started performing some of Austin's moves, but mixed them with his own which truly showcased his talent.

"Hey, you're pretty good!" Renee cried, going in to join him. When she did, she began dancing horribly … her hips moved awkwardly, her hands jiggled all around the place and her eyes narrowed from side to side. Logan slowed down his dancing to observe her carefully in horror, but Renee didn't even notice.

Austin and Ally watched without blinking, suddenly realising they had _a lot_ more work in front of them. Trish and Dez stood beside them, wearing the same shocked expression as they watched Renee dance.

"Oh my god, I think we found someone worse at dancing than you," Dez said to Ally. Ally frowned and nudged Dez in the stomach, causing him to squirm in the spot.

Renee just kept dancing awfully, as the others just watched her. Trish leaned toward Austin.

"What are we going to do?" Trish asked quietly. Austin remained staring blankly at them and shook his head robotically.

"_Runnnnn_!" Dez cried. And with that he bolted from the scene toward the boardwalk, Trish following after him.

Ally looked up at Austin with a worried expression on her face, and Austin grabbed her hand, pulling on her to flee from the scene as well. At first, Ally gave in to his tug, but when she looked back and saw poor Logan watching Renee's horrendous dance moves, she immediately felt bad.

"Austin, we- we can't leave." Ally said regretfully, tugging on his arm to stop him from running. Austin looked back at her with an anxious look in his eyes.

"Yes we can! It's easy, all you have to do is run-" he began to run from the spot again, but Ally stopped him and pulled him back, narrowing her eyes back to the pair.

"We never gave up on anybody when we were in the music factory, and we're not gonna start now." Ally told him. Austin sighed heavily and finally stood still in his spot.

"You're right … come on, let's go." He said, as Ally half-smiled and led the way back to them.

Fortunately, Renee had been too engrossed in the music and her dancing to notice any of their departures. Austin pursed his lips and pressed stop on his iPod, finally causing Renee to look around her. Logan, Austin and Ally were all staring at her blankly. Renee clapped her hands and tilted her head to the side.

"I know, I'm awesome." She said proudly, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Austin looked at Ally and clenched his teeth quickly before moving forward to the couple.

"Right, well … as _awesome _as you are, Renee, we've gotta come up with a good routine for the both of you so that you can win that contest." Austin told her, turning his back to both of them and standing just at the centre of their positions.

"Okay, I'm gonna show you some steps, and I want you guys to follow. Ready?" Austin called, proceeding to follow through the steps of a routine he made up on the spot, but Renee's voice stopped him.

"What's the need? I can _totally _show Logan my dance routine now that he knows how to dance." Renee put in, moving her hands up into mid-air. Ally stepped forward.

"Yeah, but we made a promise to both of you that we would help you win the dance contest. _Please _take our help." Ally practically begged as Renee crossed her arms over her chest. Logan looked from Ally to Renee.

"Renee, I think we should listen to Ally," he began, looking intensely over at an anxious Ally. "We should take advantage of the fact that a dancing pop star, _Austin Moon_ to be exact, is willing to teach us a routine." Logan intervened. Renee looked at him, but soon registered his words and looked at Austin who had turned around to both of them.

"You're right. Show us the routine," she agreed with a suggestive voice, flashing Austin a wink. Austin smiled nervously and turned back to Ally, but caught her looking very anxious as Logan clutched his heart and smiled romantically at her. She turned away tensely and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Okay!" Austin called out, proceeding to go through the routine as the two teenagers followed.

* * *

"So when's the dance contest?" Austin asked as they took a break. Logan took a sip from his water bottle and looked at Austin.

"Tomorrow night. You guys are coming, right?" Logan asked, looking directly at Ally. Austin watched Logan's eyes wander over to Ally who just let out a short laugh.

"Spend _more _time with you?" she pressed. Austin smirked as he remembered the last time Ally said those words. He put his arm around Ally's back and sighed.

"Of course we'll be there. And don't worry, with a few more practices I think you guys will be fine." Austin assured him. Logan nodded, but Austin leaned forward to him. "Provided you stick to the routine." He whispered, narrowing his eyes toward him as Logan nodded once again.

The routine they had been practicing allowed Logan to do most the dancing while Renee moved briskly back and forth next to him. It was the only way they wouldn't look silly in front of the whole school – there wasn't enough time to perfect Renee's dance moves.

"You'll be there, right Ally?" Logan asked again desperately. The way he looked at her made Ally so uncomfortable she shifted backward behind Austin and held his arm. She hated feeling the need for protection, but right now she really just wanted the idea that she and Austin were engaged to register in poor Logan's brain.

"Sure," Ally replied loudly through her teeth. Logan brightly smiled.

"Cool! We should go through it a couple more times before tomorrow." Logan suggested, moving back toward the grass space they had been practicing on earlier, seeing Renee do her awkward stretches.

Austin sighed.

"You're lucky I love you." he said, shaking his head. Ally looked up at him and placed her head on his shoulder.

"I just wish _they_ didn't love _us_." Ally said, looking back toward them. Austin turned to Ally and just pulled on her hand back toward the teenagers.

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**There's going to be at least one more chapter in Miami before they go back to New York I think. Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and if so I would be absolutely thrilled if you took the time to review if you read, and maybe even follow and favourite this story if you really liked it! **

**Love you guys! :)**


	18. Chapter 18: Dance Contest

**Hiyah :) I decided to upload another chapter sooner rather than later - cause one, I have loads more free time recently, and two, why the hell not? haha ****I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter. I thoroughly loved writing that one. In this one you're going to meet an unexpected person from Austin and Ally's past. ;) **

**And who watched Duos and Deception? I absolutely LOVED this episode, it was so funny and I thought Dove and Ryan were so great in their roles. I don't watch Liv and Maddie as much but I think they did an awesome job on A&amp;A. I've had the Billie and Bobbie theme song in my head most of today lmfao. **

**Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter! Looking for an 80s song to play while you read it? Try Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. ;)**

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"Welcome to the Gregory High annual dance contest!" a male high school senior yelled into the microphone, exciting many Gregory High students as they cheered. Austin, Ally, Trish and Dez all sat on the bleachers at the back, hoping not to be noticed as much.

"Do you think they have a shot at winning?" Trish asked as she turned to Ally. Ally took in a deep breath.  
"I hope so. We spent so much time trying to help them yesterday." Ally said, turning to the stage.

"Plus, I'm kinda hoping that if they win they'll get off of our backs and fall in love with each other instead of us." Austin put in.

"Yeah, they would be so cute together." Ally agreed. Trish scrunched her eyebrows and looked away for a moment as Dez turned to them.

"Fall in love with Renee?" Dez asked. They all looked up for a moment and violently shook their heads, thinking about the crazy Renee.

"Yeah, let's just hope everything goes well." Ally concluded, breathing in carefully and curving into Austin's body as the show commenced.

"Okay, next up we have Chris and Olivia! Let's give them a big round of applause!" the MC cried, as the students cheered them on.

A gorgeous short girl approached the stage in blue leggings and a sparkly white and silver sleeveless shirt, her long brown hair falling down in loose waves on her back. Just after her, a dark-skinned tall boy, wearing blue jeans and a white V-neck came up on stage, and they both wore the same cap on their heads.

Ally tilted her head and studied the boy more closely. He looked like someone she definitely knew, but she couldn't figure out who it was.

"Man, he looks familiar." Austin muttered. Ally immediately turned to him, her eyes wide.  
"Yeah, I think so too. Who is he?" Ally asked out loud before Chris and Olivia began to go through their routine. They were fairly good, in Ally's opinion.

"Weren't they awesome guys!?" the MC yelled as he ran back on the stage and initiated a loud applause.

The foursome eagerly clapped their hands and cheered on the couple on stage. They were definitely the best dancers so far.

"Okay, up next we have Renee and Logan! Make some noise as they come up!" he yelled, running back behind the stage.

Austin and Ally got up from their seats and cheered loudly, supportively cheering on their students. Renee came up first, dressed in a very _loud _pink and purple outfit, with sequins all over the fabric and her hat. Logan awkwardly followed after her, trying very hard not to look at the audience as much. He was wearing a blazer obviously not chosen by himself – a pink and purple sequin one that matched perfectly with Renee's.

As the music started, Austin bopped to the music and played the moves in his head as Logan performed them perfectly. He was obviously good, but he lacked audience engagement. He barely smiled or looked at his peers, but Austin hoped that didn't matter. Renee didn't look at the audience either, but she was too busy making weird facial expressions with her dance moves.

"Oh god I'm so nervous." Ally said as the music faded out. The crowd cheered them on excitedly, which pleased Austin. That was definitely the sound of impressed teenagers.

The end of the contest came soon after, and all of the contestants came back to the stage to hear the results.

"Come on, we should get closer." Trish suggested, getting up from her seat and the others followed after her. The MC held three envelopes in his hand and commanded the audience to quiet down a little.

"In third place we have … Lacey and Casey!" he cried, holding up the open envelope and initiating a cheer. Lacey and Casey eagerly approached the MC and took their small trophy with a fruit basket, and victoriously looked at their peers.

"And in second place we have … Chris and Olivia!" he yelled. The students again clapped and cheered. Chris practically ran up to the MC and grabbed the trophy, handing it over to the very small Olivia and pulled her in for a hug as they held their trophy.

"Congrats, guys!" the MC said, proceeding to open the next envelope. Ally looked at Austin nervously. She knew they were both thinking the same thing – either Renee and Logan had won or they hadn't won anything at all.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for … Our first place winners tonight are …. Renee and Logan!" Ally jumped in her spot unexpectedly, hugging Austin tightly before cheering on their students.

Renee ran to the MC and grabbed the trophy, barely even looking at Logan who just smiled at his peers. Renee turned back to the MC after eagerly waving to her peers.

"Do you mind?" she asked, referring to the microphone he was holding. Ally smirked. The situation resembled Renee's birthday party when she had stolen Ally's mike as well. The MC hesitantly gave her the microphone and Renee screamed into the mike before speaking.

"I'd just like to thank everyone who made this win possible for me. My partner, Logan. And I'd also like to thank my very, _very_ special friend Austin Moon, for teaching us a routine and helping us win this thing!" Renee cried, holding up the trophy victoriously again and looking directly at Austin and Ally. Austin looked around to the wandering eyes heading in their direction and tightly smiled.

The MC neared Renee at that moment, but no one could hear what he was saying. "You mean you didn't come up with that routine by yourselves?" he prompted.

Renee laughed. "Are you kidding, of course not! But it was awesome, huh? Austin taught it to us." She blabbed proudly. The MC shook his head.

"There's a strict rule about that," he began, before taking the mike from Renee and holding it to his mouth. "I'm sorry guys, but because Renee and Logan had help in doing their routine, I'm afraid they are officially disqualified." He said, causing murmurs and mumbles within the audience. Ally widened her mouth open in disbelief at what she was hearing.

"Shit, I had no idea." Austin muttered. Ally parted her lips and shook her head.  
"I should have known or at least asked. I feel so bad." She said, before turning back to the stage. Trish raised her eyebrow and looked at Ally.

"It's not your fault. They should have known about the contest rules, not you guys." Trish reminded them. Ally shook her head.

"I still feel bad though …" she repeated regretfully.  
"Well don't." Trish interrupted bluntly, making Ally jump back a little. But she knew she couldn't expect anything less from Trish.

"In that case, our new first place winners are first runners up, Chris and Olivia." The MC announced, as the audience clapped. Olivia put down the second place trophy and looked up at Chris before they both headed back toward the MC.

"Thanks guys, you did amazingly. You deserve this." the MC said genuinely, trying to force the trophy out of Renee's hands. Austin squirmed as he remembered the surprising strength Renee actually had.

Chris leaned over the MC's mike. "Uh, thank you." He said quite confusedly. Olivia smiled and finally took the trophy from the MC.

"Hope you guys all enjoyed tonight!" the MC tried to hype up the crowd again. They all clapped again and Ally turned to her friends.

"I can't believe this." Ally said, shaking her head. Dez approached Ally and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Ally. It's not your fault that you offered to help Renee for this contest when she didn't even suggest it herself. I mean now, you've literally crushed her dreams of winning this contest, and quite possibly ruined Logan's esteem forever." He said seriously, causing Ally to look at him intensely.

"How is _that _supposed to make me feel better?" she pressed. Dez just hugged her and Ally stood completely still as he did.

"I have no idea." He said, before moving away from her. Trish rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure they'll forgive you both. There's no way you could have possibly known." Trish put in, looking at Dez as she finished. Ally nodded.

"We're about to find out." Austin observed, seeing Renee and Logan approaching them. Renee did _not_ look happy. Ally hurried back next to Austin and waited for the two teenagers to come to them.

Renee stormed to them and crossed her arms over her chest. "You ruined _everything_! I wanted to win this contest and you guys had to come in and teach us your _amazing _dance moves." Renee yelled.

Ally pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side. The tone Renee was using seemed annoyed, but her use of the word 'amazing' made Ally question otherwise. Austin shook his head.

"We only wanted to help. We're sorry-" Ally said. Renee held her hand up to Ally.

"Austin, I need to be with someone who knows exactly what I want and will help me get it. I'm sorry but, things are officially over between us." She said. All eyes turned to Austin, who tried to hide the smile forming on his lips.

"Come on, Logan. Let's go." She said, walking past the four of them. Logan stood still in his spot and looked at Ally.

"And I'm sorry to say this, but ... I'm over you too, Ally. Renee is really something else, I think I'm falling for her." He said, looking over at Renee. Ally bugged her eyes out at Logan.

"Well, good for you, Logan." She said with a smile. Logan sighed.

"I'll never forget you." He said, shaking his head with a far-off look in his eye. Ally let out a short laugh.  
"Yeah, I'll _never _forget you either." she replied with a smile. Logan waved to them and confidently danced down to Renee, singing to himself.

"I'm finally meeeeee …. Got everything I need, what you get is what you see … I'm finally meeeee …" he sang as the four friends laughed at his exit.

"Well, I guess that's that." Austin said with a laugh.  
"Come on, we better go. We've got to get to that dinner with our parents." Trish reminded them, proceeding to leave with the group.

"Hey, wait up!" an unknown voice called in their direction. Ally turned to recognise Chris from the stage coming toward them. She still couldn't figure out where she knew him from.

"Austin, Ally … it's been such a long time." He greeted, smiling softly. Ally pressed her eyes into his gaze.

"Don't you remember me? I'm Chris … Jimmy's son? Kira's little brother?" he prompted. All four of them cried 'ohhhhhhh' in unison as they smiled and looked at him more closely. Ally brightly smiled at him.

"I haven't seen you since you stopped taking violin lessons." Ally recalled the first year of Austin's career and when they had first met Jimmy Starr. Chris smiled.

"Yeah, I think dancing is more my calling card." He admitted. Austin laughed.

"Well, congratulations on the trophy, buddy. You two totally deserved it." Austin said warmly, nodding his head.

"Thanks …" he sighed, looking at the ground before he looked at them again. "Look, I've gotta ask, how's my sister?" he asked worriedly. Ally looked at him sympathetically. The Starr family drama must have been hard on Chris.

"How do you know she's in contact with us?" Ally asked.  
"She told me. But, I don't get to talk to her very often … the last time we spoke was when she told me she met up with you again. She gets scared talking to me though." He said regretfully.

"I'm sorry," Ally said. "But Kira is good. I know she really misses all of you." She went on.

Chris nodded slowly. "Mom and I really miss her too. And I know Dad does, he just won't admit it to himself." he replied.

Chris sighed. "So, I mean … what is Kira up to these days?" he asked solemnly, looking around all to of them. Ally parted her lips slightly, wondering if he knew Kira was going to be her bridesmaid, and whether she should tell him if he didn't. She decided against the latter and proceeded to answer his question.

"Well, I mean she's working part time at a beauty and hair salon. And she's still working on music." Ally put in. Suddenly Dez popped in to the conversation.

"Plus she's been a great help as a bridesmaid for Austin and Ally's wedding," Dez blurted out. Trish, Austin, and Ally's eyes immediately went over to Dez with a sharp turn. He looked at them, confused by their reactions.

Chris widened his eyes. "Wait, she's going to be _your _bridesmaid?" he asked, seeming quite astounded by the concept. Ally muttered something incomprehensible.

"Well, yeah … kinda. I mean, she's a really good friend of mine and …" Ally drifted off because Chris was mumbling under his breath.

"I can't believe this," he muttered. "She knows how much Austin hurt Dad. How could she do this?" he repeated, slightly talking at them and slightly talking to himself.

Austin let out a sarcastic laugh. "_I_ hurt _Jimmy_? He's the one who dropped me from his label and stopped me from making music-!" Austin nearly yelled, but was cut off when Ally touched his arm to calm him down.

Chris shook his head in disbelief. "He was only trying to look out for you, Austin. He saw you like another son and you went against him." he retorted. Austin pursed his lips in fury at Chris's words, but it was Trish who spoke up.

"Wait a minute, who's side are you on anyway?" Trish charged. Ally looked at Trish. She admired her best friend for being able to say what she herself always felt afraid to.

Chris looked up at all of them. "They're my family, guys. I just want our family to get back together, but it seems like it's just getting harder and harder." He admitted gravely.

Austin grunted. "Well, don't bring us in the middle of it, okay?" and with that, Austin brushed past Chris and headed for the exit.

Ally knew Austin was only hurting from what Chris had said. While she too felt a little annoyed that Chris was blaming Austin and herself for the inability to reconcile with his sister, she sombrely hoped that things could work out within the Starr family. She cared very much about Kira, and she knew that while she was obviously happy with her partner Kyle – she would be happier with her family's support.

Ally looked blankly at Chris. "I'm sorry about everything, Chris. But Kira's our friend and I hope you can just understand that enough." And with that, Ally proceeded to follow Austin out the door, Trish and Dez following behind.

Chris looked at the ground. He didn't mean to blame them for the hurt within his family – but he missed Kira and he missed the family he once had. He just wanted so much for things to go back the way they once were.

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**So there you have it! I rewatched Successes and Setbacks from the first season and saw that apparently Kira has this mysterious brother who was never mentioned again after that one episode. xD So I decided to use him in my story. **

**What did you guys think? Please leave reviews :) I love reading them so much. **


	19. Chapter 19: Blooms of Life

**Haven't uploaded in a week - sorry!  
****Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter there's some Auslly fluff for those of you who love that as much as me ;)**

**P.S the title of this chapter is _lame and totally unrelated xD _but I couldn't think of anything else and it ties in with today's;  
****Song of the chapter: Nevermind by Foster the People. From last year but I love it. **

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After the dance contest, the gang had had dinner with their parents, all except for Ally's mum and Paul, who lived on the other side of Miami. The next day would be their last day in Miami before the gang would head back to New York on an evening flight.

On the last morning of their trip, Ally came out of the bathroom wearing a pair of high waisted black jeans and a sleeveless white and purple floral shirt. She pulled on her black low ankle boots and noticed Trish wasn't sitting on her bed.

She walked through to the adjoining room to the boys' but found only Trish making coffee in the small kitchenette, and heard the TV playing at a low volume. Ally raised her eyebrows.

"Hey, where are the guys?" she asked casually, sitting down on the sofa. Trish turned to see her friend and rolled her eyes.

"Apparently there's this big cheese festival happening today and Dez was seriously interested." Trish blankly explained, barely caring.

Ally shook her head, thinking about the obsession Dez had with cheese. "Are they coming back?" Ally went on, narrowing her eyes to the TV.

Trish nodded. "Yeah, they're just getting some information from the front desk. They said they'd be back in a couple of minutes," she explained, heading over to the couch and sitting next to Ally.

At that moment, two very familiar faces came through the door, Austin in front with a look of discrepancy on his face.

"We can't extend our trip just for this cheese festival, Dez!" he argued, heading over to Ally and sitting on the couch arm. Dez pouted.  
"But it goes for three whole days!" he whined, stomping his foot on the ground. Austin just shook his head and Ally looked up at him, a small smirk beginning to form on her lips.

Dez suddenly wore a serious expression and pressed his eyes into Austin's. "You'd feel different if it were a pancake festival." He threatened. Austin immediately jumped up from the arm, his heart beating a million miles a minute.

"Wait, there are _pancake festivals_!?" he yelled across the room, all three of them watching the shock rise within him. Austin quickly tried to calm himself. "Okay, I see your point." He muttered, putting his hand on his hip.

Ally laughed, covering her mouth a little. Trish glared at her with a smirk.

"What are you laughing at, Ally?" she pressed, making Ally turn to her. "You go nuts every time you go to the pickle factory – I didn't even know those things existed." She went on, shaking her head.

Ally glowered at her. "Fine, point taken," she mumbled, glancing around the room. She suddenly got up.

"You should go to the cheese festival, Dez. I know you'll regret it if you don't." Ally warned him.

Dez sighed loudly. "Well at least I'll get to see one day of the perfection that is cheese," he whispered seriously, heading to his bed to retrieve his camera and backpack.

Trish sighed. "What are we gonna do?" she asked out loud. Austin grinned at the corner of his mouth.

"It's not just a cheese festival. It's a cheese and wine …" he drifted off because Trish lifted up her bag and turned to Dez who was standing behind her, placing his backpack on his shoulders.

"I'm going with you." She said flatly. Dez beamed and clenched his fist in victory, holding up his hand to high five her while Trish just stared blankly at him. She just moved past him and headed for the door.

"You guys know what you wanna do?" Trish called from the door, turning back slightly. Ally smiled and looking up at Austin who just stared at her questionably.

"Yeah, I know what we're gonna do." she replied slyly, curving into Austin's body. Trish groaned.

"Come on Dez, before they go at it right in front of us." Trish said haughtily, opening the door and waiting for Dez to come after her.

When the door shut, Ally remained with a smirk stained on her lips, as she played with the buttons of Austin's shirt. Austin slowly began to smile.

"You mean Trish is right?" he whispered, kissing her cheek swiftly. Ally laughed and pushed him away lightly.

"No, I wanted to suggest going house hunting." Ally replied, drawing patterns on Austin's shirt. Austin sighed but slowly began to smile, liking the idea.

"You know what – that's actually a great idea. Besides, I think we should start hunting as soon as possible as well." He added, wrapping his arm around her waist. Ally smiled at him and they made their way down and out to the town.

* * *

"I know that you're seeking an old American style home with an ocean view, but I think that with all of your requests – perhaps purchasing an empty property would interest you more." the real estate agent suggested, pulling out a few flyers of blocks of land.

Ally looked at Austin, and they both knew immediately what the other was thinking. Of course they would build a home! That way they could have everything they wanted.

"That's a great idea, Karen. Thank you so much." Ally said, sliding one of the flyers between her and Austin.

"This way we can actually get everything we want." Austin mused out loud, neither talking to them or to himself. Ally smirked at him.

Becoming Mrs Moon in a few months was one thing she was excited for – but starting a home and a family with Austin just made her heart bubble with happiness.

* * *

"I want a pool." Ally said out loud as they walked through the downtown shopping area.  
"I want a big garage to keep all of our cars." Austin said back. Ally raised her eyebrow at him. She hadn't realised their conversation had become a contest.

"I want a flower garden." She mused.  
"I want a big practice room." Austin said. Ally looked at him with a dreamy smile.  
"With a black grand piano." She agreed.  
"And a carousel of guitars." He added.  
"And a recording booth – for our music and our children's first words." Ally put in. Austin looked down at her.  
"Five." He said dreamily, nuzzling his nose into Ally's hair. Ally furrowed her eyebrows, confused.

"Recording booths?" she asked in disbelief.  
Austin laughed. "No, kids." He corrected her, pulling her frame into his body. Ally widened her eyes and tried to register giving birth to _five _children.

"Wait a minute, maybe you've got me confused with a cat." Ally replied with a nervous laugh. Austin chuckled again.

"But I want lots of little Moons," he whined cutely, smiling at her.

Ally laughed bitterly. "Okay, then _you _give birth to these five children," she said, crossing her arms over her chest with a piercing look in her eyes. Austin just stared at her for a moment.

"Come on, we could be like the Von Trapp family." He suggested with a smirk. Ally parted her lips and thought for a moment, then quickly shook her head.

"Do not try to persuade with my favourite musicals," Ally warned, walking ahead of him. Austin only laughed and ran to catch up with her.

"Fine – how about four?" he tried again. Ally didn't respond. Austin widened his eyes at her.  
"Three?" he tried again, a little disappointed.

Ally turned to him. "Three," she repeated with a small smile. She was only teasing him.

"But I want them all to have your gorgeous hair." She said, running her fingers through his beautiful blonde locks. Austin laughed.

"But with your beautiful eyes." He whispered, kissing her brow softly. Ally breathed in gently.  
"And your smile." She murmured softly.

"And your little nose. Boop!" he tapped her nose quickly with his index finger as Ally laughed at him.

* * *

Ally sighed as she placed her suitcase on the luggage belt for the check in lady, looking back out the window to the city of Miami. She was sad to be leaving Miami all over again, but knowing that they would be there soon for the wedding made her smile a little.

After Austin and Ally had returned from their venture out to real estate agents, Dez and Trish had returned with cheeses to take home and they quickly made their way out to catch their evening flight back to New York.

"You know, we didn't have to go back to help Logan and Renee. We made ourselves look pretty stupid last night after they were disqualified." Austin recalled the night before, as they proceeded toward the departure gate.

Ally narrowed her eyes up at Austin and shook her head. "I made a promise to Renee to help her with the dance contest. I couldn't just break a promise like that, especially when I made it. It's part of my code." Ally replied breezily.

Austin nodded. "I know, it's in there with honesty and never being a quitter …" but he drifted off when Ally clenched his jacket with her fingers and looked him straight in the eye.

"How do you know that? I wrote that in confidence in my songbook … You didn't read my songbook did you!?" Ally demanded, soon putting her hands on her hips.

Austin widened his eyes but quickly came up with an answer. "No, I swear I didn't! I'd like to think I know you well enough to at least know your code." Austin reminded her, tilting his head back. Ally narrowed her eyes to the side and slowly gave in.

"Oh… sorry." She said with a regretful smile, continuing to walk ahead of him. Austin wiped his brow and breathed a sigh of relief as he caught up with her.

At that moment, Trish and Dez came running up to them from a duty free shop, huffing and puffing from their run and obviously scared to tell them something.

"Guys!" Trish breathed, holding her waist to balance herself and breathe. Ally looked from Trish to Dez.

"What's going on?" Ally asked. Dez used his fingers to point back toward where they had come from, but was still unable to verbally express anything.

"Spill it out!" Austin said, slapping Dez's backside. Dez let out a loud exhale before Trish finally replied.

"It's Jimmy Starr. He's here. Like _here, here._" Trish said, looking from Austin to Ally. The couple looked completely shocked and perplexed, fidgeting as they registered the news.

"Of _all_ people right now! What do we do!?" Ally wailed, looking around anxiously. Austin soon started breathing a little more carefully, and moved to the centre of his friends.

"Who cares? If he sees us, let him. I know Chris said Jimmy saw me like a son and I disobeyed him, but I don't care. I'm back in the biz now and I don't need to hide anything," he said, slightly confident but his anxiety definitely showed.

"Or we could you know, make a break for it." Dez suggested blatantly. Austin instantaneously nodded.  
"Yeah that works too." He replied quickly, nodding repetitively. Trish looked around again before turning back to her friends.

She cried "Come on!" as they ran toward the departure gate, which was around a hundred metres away.

Unfortunately they got caught in a crowd, and Austin grabbed Ally's hand and snaked through it as fast and as best he could. But upon emerging from the crowd, they saw the very Jimmy Starr standing just a few metres away from them.

The foursome stopped dead in their tracks.

Neither party said anything for a moment, but upon registering the people he was looking at, Jimmy put a magazine back on its stand and stepped forward.

"Austin Moon?" he said, hardly believing it. Austin just stared at him as if he had seen a ghost, but Ally moved to the front of her friends.

"Look over there!" she cried, pointing toward the gate, making Jimmy turn to the direction of her finger.  
Ally turned back to her friends. "_Run_!" she exclaimed, running to the left of the group before realising none of her friends were following her. She laughed nervously and headed back to them.

Jimmy pursed his lips and blankly looked at them.

"What-what are you doing here at the airport?" Austin tried, hesitant in every word that left his lips. Ally lovingly placed her hand on his arm.

"I'm picking up my wife. She went to visit her sister." Jimmy explained. Dez moved forward and faked an approving smile.

"That's the spirit. Be there for your loved ones!" he said, clenching his fist and moving it upward in the air across his chest.

Ally and Trish confusedly looked at him. "_Dez_!" they hissed.

Jimmy tilted his head to the side. Dez looked back at them and held his hands up in the air. There was an awkward silence for a moment.

"You're making music again, aren't you Austin?" he initiated. Ally breathed out heavily and rubbed her forehead with her fingers. Austin crossed his arms across his chest.

"Yeah, I am. I've missed it." He replied simply. Ally looked up Austin nervously.

"And Kira is going to be a bridesmaid at your wedding, isn't she?" he went on with a fire in his tone. Austin, Ally and Trish all turned to Dez with a look of disbelief – knowing it was Dez's fault that Jimmy knew.

Ally laughed nervously. "What makes you say that?" she asked, but knew all too well who would have told him. Jimmy looked at her.

"My son tells me everything." He explained haughtily.

Ally looked at him, scared, confused and desperate. "Look, you don't understand …" she began, moving forward to him.

"I don't need to know anything more about that girl, Ally." He stopped her. Ally raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"_That girl_ is your daughter, Jimmy," Ally reminded him softly. Jimmy pursed his lips and lifted his head slightly. "You have no idea how much she wants to talk to you and her mom." Ally went on, hoping with all her heart she could start the patching up of this family.

"It's not your concern what goes on in my family." Jimmy retorted, crossing his arms across his chest. Ally looked down.

"That may be, but my friends are my concern and Kira is one of them. I just want her to be happy." Ally said simply. Jimmy looked around the group.

"That's my business." He said again, looking down at the ground. Ally caught a little glimpse of sadness in his eyes.

"Well, if that's all you wanted to talk about, Jimmy … we've got a flight to catch." Trish said haughtily, leading the way to the departure gate.

Ally didn't follow after her friends straight away. She was consumed by the look in Jimmy's eyes as he spoke of his daughter. She walked toward him slowly.

"You know, all she wants is happiness. It's what we all want, right? I mean, you found it with your wife. Austin and I found it with each other …" Ally began softly. Jimmy barely looked at her, he just looked offside from her.

"And it's not like Kyle is as bad as you thought. They're still together, Jimmy. And they're very happy together. The only thing that's missing, is you and her family." She went on, hoping to spark something in his hard chest.

Jimmy pierced his eyes into Ally's gaze. "I won't talk to her after she disobeyed me." He said firmly. Ally sighed.

"Then I guess your family will just remain broken." Ally concluded, finally brushing past Jimmy. Jimmy didn't turn back, react, or even glance at Ally as she left.

At least Ally had tried. She wondered if Kira would be upset that she spoke to Jimmy about the touchy subject – but she decided she didn't care. She hoped, after her talk with him, that Jimmy would find it in himself to speak to his daughter once again.

Austin was waiting for her at the departure gate, tapping his foot impatiently on the tiled floor. Upon seeing Austin's unimpressed gaze, Ally sped up her pace and stopped just in front of him. He just shook his head.

"What did you talk to him for?" Austin demanded. Ally's heart jumped a little inside. Austin hadn't raised his voice at her like this in a very long time.

"Austin, if I don't say anything about Kira to him, he might never talk to her again." Ally explained.  
"Who cares? That guy is the reason I couldn't make music for what felt like an eternity, Ally. He _ruined_ me, and you're supposed to understand that more than anybody. I can't believe you tried to reason with him." he said bitterly.

Ally widened her eyes at his reaction, but she couldn't think of anything to say. Austin just pursed his lips and exhaled slowly.

"Austin … I-I'm sorry. I didn't realise you would react like this. I was only trying to help." Ally apologized, worming into his body shape and wrapping her arms around his waist. To her delight, Austin wrapped his hands around her back too and breathed heavily making Ally sigh. His gentle breathing against her body was one of her most favourite rhythms in the world.

"I know. You just have this uncontrollable need to fix people." Austin remarked with a slight smirk. Ally looked up at him and pouted her lips.

"I do no- no, you're right I do. It's a sickness, really." She admitted with a frown. Austin just laughed and released her from his grip to grab her hand. Ally gripped tightly onto his fingers and looked up at him. "But I really am sorry." She repeated wholesomely.

Austin smiled at the corner of his mouth and leaned in to kiss her swiftly on the lips. The kiss took Ally by surprise, but she held his jaw with her free hand and deepened his kiss.

"Hey! Lovebirds! You mind doing that _after_ you get past security?!" a guard yelled at them. Ally blushed crimson and let go of Austin quickly, hearing laughs and snickers coming from the crowds near them.

Austin just smiled softly and pulled Ally ahead. "Come on, let's go." He said, finally moving through the gate with a perplexed Ally at his side.

* * *

**So there was a bit Auslly fluff and a bit of arguing! oooh haha **

**I loved writing about Austin's dream to have 'lots of little Moons' lol **

**Liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Well let me know in that little review box! I'd love for some feedback - but be kind. :) **


	20. Chapter 20: Night of Games & Old Flames

**Hi all! It's been a pretty eventful week for the Auslly/Raura fandom. ;) Who watched Wedding Bells and Wacky Birds? Can I just say - as a writer of an Auslly wedding planning fanfiction, it was just SO UNBELIEVABLY CUTE ADORABLE PERFECT? Like oh my gosh, everything about it was so cute and I even liked their little fight - oh my gosh spoiler alert if you haven't seen it - because I feel like fights and little arguments like that are necessary in building a strong relationship between two people. These two just work so well together and I just love their connection. **

**What a rant but it was definitely my fave ep - even though I said that about the last one xD **

**So here's the next chapter for you. I did enjoy writing this one :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin and Ally or the characters from it. **

* * *

"Hey babe, can you help me with the unpacking?" Ally asked, leaning over the coffee table to straighten out a few magazines.

Austin sat on the couch in their living room, scrolling through the news feed on his Twitter. They had arrived back in New York a day earlier and had done very little all day. He just grunted in response and hovered over to Ally, wrapping his arms around her curved back and dragging her to the couch with him.

Ally squealed, "_Austin_!" and tried to worm her way out of his grasp. Austin was much too strong for her and soon he managed to place her right in his lap. Ally turned to him with a warning look in her eyes.

"Don't you ever just wanna, I don't know _stop_, for a sec?" he suggested, propping his chin on Ally's shoulder.

Ally sighed. "But there's so much to do …" she protested, but Austin kissed her neck to shut her up. His plan worked and Ally closed her eyes as he planted kisses on her neck.

"I'm going on tour in less than three weeks, Als. Do you really want to spend the time we have together til then doing _work_?" he whispered. Ally fluttered her eyelashes down and sighed.

That was one thing she could never get used to – but knew she would have to – being in a relationship with a fellow musician. There would be infrequent months out of the year where they would be apart from one another. Austin would be going on a short tour in selected cities around North America for a little over a month, and while Ally would normally try to travel with him – she herself had to prepare for her month-long tour coming up at the beginning of July.

"Do we have to go?" she asked softly, leaning her forehead against his for a moment.

Austin sighed. "Part of the business … and I know you want to go on tour just as much as I do." he brightened, trying to cheer her up a little. Ally smiled.  
"Of course I do. I just wish we could go on tour together … like old times." She replied, locking her fingers around Austin's neck.

"Me too," and with that Austin covered his mouth with hers, pulling her even closer to his body. Ally ruffled her hands through his hair as he deepened the kiss, and soon sat straddling him on the sofa.

At that moment, a phone buzz interrupted them both, and Austin let out a loud groan into Ally's lips and leaned back on the sofa in defeat. Ally quickly kissed the corner of his mouth before leaning over the coffee table and pressing answer on her phone. It was Zoe.

"Hey, Zo." – Ally.  
"Ally! When did you guys get back?" – Zoe  
"Just last night. Austin and I are just relaxing at the moment." – Ally said with a smirk, seeing the frown on Austin's face.  
"Well, Chase just suggested having a game night at your place. Only if you're up for it." – Zoe. Ally looked up at Austin and held the phone to her collar bone.

"Zoe and Chase wanna know if you're up for a game night." Ally repeated to her boyfriend, raising her eyebrows slightly. Austin groaned like a child. Ally suddenly heard Zoe speaking on the phone and held it back to her ear, regretful that Zoe had probably heard.

"_We'll bring pizza_ …" Zoe tried to bribe in a sing-song voice. Ally widened her eyes and suddenly Austin leaned forward to her again.

"Pizza!? Yeah, I'm totally in the mood for a game night." Austin gave in, trying to hide his anticipation. Ally laughed.

"Awesome! I'll tell the other guys and we'll be there soon." Zoe finished. Ally smiled.  
"Okay, Zo. See you soon!" and with that Ally hung up and tilted her head forward to Austin.

"I thought you didn't want to do anything." Ally recalled, drawing patterns in the blonde mop on Austin's head.

Austin laughed. "Well, we have some time before they get here …" he drifted off, nuzzling into Ally's neck. Ally breathed heavily and brought his face back to hers to make complete eye contact with him.

"Hmmm …. No." she teased, getting up from his lap and heading for the kitchen.  
Austin threw his hands up in the air. "Awe, come on!" he cried, making Ally laugh.

An hour later, Zoe, Chase, Georgia, Kira, Dez, Carrie, Daniel and Brad came to Austin and Ally's apartment, somehow eager to play games.

"Trish couldn't make it?" Georgia asked as she poured herself some lemonade in the kitchen. Ally shook her head, but gave a knowing look to Georgia.

"Nah, but we had a pretty long trip. Poor Trish is probably tired." Ally said with a knowing smile to her friend. Brad approached them and leaned over the kitchen counter.

"What game are we gonna play with _ten people_?" he asked, looking directly at Ally. Zoe then turned around from the back kitchen counter and slammed down a pile of game boxes. Brad flinched at the slam, and awkwardly crossed his arms over his chest as Zoe looked around.

"I brought Pictionary and Monopoly." Zoe announced proudly. Ally looked them over.  
"And I have Charades, Articulate and Taboo." Ally put in as she pointed over the games she took out.

Carrie danced over to them, clutching to Dez's hand. "I say we play all of them! The night is young, friends!" she sang. Dez smiled down at her.

"But I do suggest Pictionary, it's what Carrie and I are best at and we will crush all of you." Dez announced simply, looking around the whole room as Carrie linked her arm through Dez's and nodded just as confidently.

Ally laughed. "Well, okay. I vote for Pictionary first too. But I will warn you, Austin and I are pretty great at this game too. And I don't think anyone can ever beat Team Austin and Ally." she retaliated playfully, heading over to Austin and wrapping her arm around his waist.

Austin smirked and held out a clenched fist toward Ally, and she followed him without looking, banging her own clenched fist with him, and they both pointed their index fingers at each other in unison. Their own little thing.

Dez stepped forward away from Carrie with a fierce look in his eye.

"Oh, its on!" he cried, slamming down the Pictionary game box. Georgia approached the centre of the room.

"Please don't break the game." she requested hesitantly, neatly placing the box on the table.

* * *

"So how was Miami? Was it nice to go back?" Kira asked as she placed a wet dish on the rack. Ally smiled dreamily, taking the dish and wiping it. She had insisted on doing the dishes herself but Kira was adamant to help out.

"It was really fun. Apart from the crazy little fans we had to put up with, it was great." Ally replied, placing the dish on the counter top. Kira beamed and turned her attention back to the dishes. Ally contemplated whether she should tell her about the encounter she had with Kira's family.

"I'm sure they're not as bad as you made them out to be. I mean, they're only fans. They mean well." Kira tried to defend them. Ally widened her eyes at Kira and waited for her to come to her gaze. Kira looked at Ally after the silence and widened her eyes just as much.

"Seriously? They were that bad?" Kira pressed. Ally nodded, not blinking.

"She tried pretty hard to steal Austin, and Logan … Logan told me he _loved _me." Ally explained, shaking her head at the memory. Kira raised her eyebrows in disbelief, but soon shook her head too.

"Teenagers," she commented, pulling the plug from the drain and wiping her hands. Ally breathed carefully for a moment, trying to find the best way to tell Kira, but was interrupted with the sound of an outburst from the living room.

"I swear to God, Georgia! If you_ cheat_ one more time-!" Daniel cried, rising from the sofa. Georgia slapped the Articulate cards on the table and turned to Daniel plainly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nobody likes a sore loser, _Daniel_." She retorted, looking away. Daniel shook his head.

"You're really not that cute in a competitive streak." He deadpanned, squinting his eyes. Georgia squinted her eyes back and sarcastically smiled at his remark.

"Yeah? Well you're not that cute in _any_ streak." She snapped, turning away from him and slapping Zoe's hand in a high-five.

"Oh burn!" Brad exclaimed with a laugh as Daniel shot him a warning glance.

Ally stared at them for a moment before shaking her head and rolling her eyes back to Kira. Kira was only laughing at the situation before them.

"I thought Georgia was into Daniel – why is she being mean to him?" Kira asked with a chuckle. Ally looked back at their friends.

"Why did the six year old boy pull the little girl's pig tails?" Ally asked back, as Kira turned to her with an eyebrow raised.  
"Is that supposed to be the start to a joke? Cause it doesn't sound very good." Kira replied, shaking her head. Ally narrowed her eyes.

"No! She's teasing him_ because_ she likes him!" Ally whisper-yelled, raising her eyebrows slightly. Kira formed an o-shape with her mouth and smiled. The two girls laughed for a moment.

Ally sighed. "Kira, there's something I have to tell you," she began. Kira looked at her closely and nodded, prompting her to go ahead.

"We coincidentally met your brother while we were in Miami …" Ally started, crooking her lips to the side. Kira bugged her eyes out. "And your dad." She blurted out.

Kira looked like she was hardly breathing. "What!?" she finally managed to get out. Ally tilted her head to the side.

"What happened?" Kira asked, after she collected herself.

"They seem a little – angry, that you're my bridesmaid. But the worst part is that I don't think Austin is coping well with the way they spoke to him." Ally explained, looking over at her fiancé.

"He knows I have nothing to do with what happened, right? That was all Dad. Not me." Kira said, looking over at Austin as well. He and Daniel were fighting over Articulate cards. Carrie ran her fingers through her hair.

"What are you two fighting for? You're on the same team!" Brad reminded them, shaking his head. Austin looked from Brad to Daniel and let go of the cards – each boy receiving half. Carried shook her head and looked at Dez.

"Men." She muttered, as Dez just goofily smiled at her.

Ally turned back to Kira. "Totally. I just don't think he ever wants to see Jimmy again. And your brother was pretty cold with us." Ally went on. Kira nodded.

"He hasn't been dealing with the whole thing very well – I moved out when he was pretty young." Kira told her with a sigh.

She looked up at Ally. "I'm sorry about whatever my family said to hurt you both, Ally. But this is part of the reason I kinda rebelled against dad – I needed to get out on my own, and be with Kyle." Kira explained, looking down. "I just wish he didn't have to be so cold about the whole thing." She muttered under her breath.

Ally put her hand on Kira's shoulder. "I know. I told him that-" she cut herself short, unsure of whether she'd said too much.

Kira glanced at her. "You-you told him? What did he say?" Kira stammered, her hands slightly shaking.

"I care about you, Kira. He did ruin Austin's career for a long time, but I think Jimmy is just a bit stubborn. He can't tolerate what you did purely because you went against him … I think …" Ally drifted off, thinking about what she wanted to say.

"I think if he sees you – or hears your voice again – he might be willing to move on and work things out." Ally proposed, looking at Kira.

"What if he won't listen?" Kira mumbled. Ally sighed.

"At least you'll know – you just have to try." She replied. Kira looked away and twiddled her thumbs on the bench. Ally looked up and saw Zoe approaching them.

"What do you think Trish is doing?" Zoe asked, taking a brownie from the plate on the counter top. Ally cheekily smiled and looked at Kira, who exchanged the same look with her.

"Sleeping." They replied in unison as the three girls laughed.

* * *

Trish lay strewn across her bed, fast asleep and slightly snoring. In the distance, she heard her doorbell ring, but rolled over, hoping whoever the hell it was – would go away.

The doorbell rang again.

Trish groaned and rubbed her eyes, lifting up from her bed. The doorbell rang again and she felt like throwing something at it. Or the person who had woken her up.

It rang again.

She foisted on her slippers and sluggishly made her way through her apartment, heading for the door.

"Whoever the hell you are, you better have a damn good reason to wake up Patricia Maria Del-!" but she cut herself short as she opened the door, finding Jace on the other side with an empty cup in his hand.

Trish narrowed her eyes at him, still angry – but she couldn't help but wonder what her hair looked like.

"Have you got sugar? I'm out." He broke in, with an apologetic look on his face. Trish tilted her head to the side.

"You woke me up for _sugar_? Really?" Trish complained, leaving the door wide open and heading toward the kitchen. Jace walked in with a sneaky smile on his face, feeling nostalgic over Trish's straightforward attitude. He closed the door behind him, and followed Trish into the kitchen.

She snatched the cup from Jace's hand and placed it close to the jar of sugar. As she filled it up, she looked at Jace.

"What are you making that needs sugar?" Trish asked with a smirk. Jace thought for a moment. He would punch himself later for not thinking up a reason.

"Um … cake." he replied hesitantly, but made the best effort to maintain a firm tone. Trish laughed.  
"You're baking a cake? Why?" she asked in between laughs. Jace put his hand on his hip.

"I'll have you know it's my little cousin's birthday tomorrow and he will _not_ be happy if he doesn't have a cake." Jace lied again, trying to write his story further.

Trish widened her eyes, with a small smile on her face. "He's not gonna be happy anyway if _you_ make the cake for him." she huffed. Jace sarcastically held his heart and squinted his eyes.

"Ouch! Well, why don't you help me with it then?" he proposed, raising his eyebrow.

Trish pursed her lips. "Yeah, I really don't wanna bake anything right now." She replied, shoving the cup of sugar toward him.

"Well, thanks for the sugar. I owe you one." He said, making no effort to move from his spot.

They both stood still, staring blankly at one another.

"Why are you still standing here?" she charged blankly, widening her eyes at him.

Jace laughed. "Haven't changed at all," he remarked under his breath, shaking his head.

Trish raised her eyebrow at him, still slightly smirking. "Is that a bad thing?" she asked. Jace studied her face for a moment, but only smiled wholesomely in response.

When he turned slightly, he saw a cork board on a wall above a desk, and caught a glimpse of a to-do list. A lengthy one at that.

"That's a lot of things to do." Jace commented, moving closer to the list. Most of the contents included maid of honour duties, and minimal activities involving her work.

"Yeah, but she's my best friend. I have to make sure her wedding is perfect." Trish sighed, walking over next to him.

"You have to send out the invitations for the Kitchen Tea by the end of this week though … have you done that?" Jace asked, a little skeptical of her answer. Trish looked at him and immediately turned to the to-do list.

"The end of this week!?" she repeated, pressing her finger against it. "I've barely even started them! And by barely started I mean haven't started at all." She blurted out, running her fingers through her dark ringlet curls.

Jace smiled at the corner of his mouth. "It's okay, I'll help. Where are they?" he asked, moving into her living room and sitting down on the couch, clearing a space on the coffee table for a work station.

Trish ran into her bedroom and picked up a folder filled with her maid of honour responsibilities – organised by Ally, of course – and flipped through it to find the list of guests, the contents of the invitation and the address information for the Kitchen Tea. She breathed in carefully and shut it, beginning to head back into the living room, when she ran past a mirror and stopped.

Trish put the folder down and fixed the bumps in her curly hair, and pulled on her cardigan, smiling at her reflection. She grabbed the folder and headed back into the living room to the waiting Jace.

* * *

**Reviews and follows and favourites make me happy. ;)**


	21. Chapter 21: A Month of Shows

**I am soo incredibly sorry I haven't posted a chapter in who knows ... has it been over two months now? I am sorry. I haven't been very consistent with any of my online accounts or social media, cause I recently received an offer to participate in a program overseas for six months! I can't believe I'm going to be home away for so long but I am really excited too! **

**So this chapter started off kinda romantic and sappy but by the end I wanted to put in some cuteness. I have a plot planned for after this chapter, but I honestly can't say when I'll get around to writing and posting new chapter within the next few months. I hope you guys will keep following this story though cause I know I will definitely finish it cause I've already written the ending, but I just don't know by when I will be able to post it by. **

**Hope you enjoy anyway! xx**

* * *

"You know, part of me is kinda glad that you and Austin are going to be separated for this coming month and a half." Trish broke in, walking behind the anxious duo in the brisk morning air. It was just a little after six in the morning, and Austin's band and new manager were loading the tour bus with their luggage.

"I agree." Dez nodded robotically.

Ally remained linked with her arm around Austin's, flashing both Trish and Dez a confused look.

"And why on earth are you glad about that?" she pressed, clutching tighter to Austin's arm. Trish smiled at the corner of her mouth.

"Learning to handle separation is key between two partners, and in your case a couple. You've got a lot of this to get used to. Concerts, tours, press conferences, photo shoots, interviews … it's going to be different when you're married." Trish explained wholesomely. Dez nodded again.

"I don't want to get used to it." Austin muttered, furrowing his eyebrows together as Ally looked up at him solemnly.

"You're gonna have to …" Dez went on, but Ally stopped him.  
"Guys, do you mind if I talk to Austin before he leaves?" Ally interrupted anxiously, as Austin pulled her a little closer to his body.

"No, not at all." Dez replied immediately, standing still in his spot with a smile on his face. Austin and Ally stared at their friend blankly just before Trish rolled her eyes at Dez. She pulled on his arm and led the way to a large fountain a few metres away in the park.

Ally turned to Austin with a sigh, and wrapped her fingers between his, playing slowly with his hands.

"We haven't been apart for this long in a long time. I don't know what I'm going to do without you." Ally muttered. Austin breathed out slowly.

"I don't know what to say." Austin confessed, bringing their hands up in line with his shoulders. Ally neared closer to him.

"Then don't say anything." Ally whispered, kissing his cheek softly. When she let go, Austin let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist, sinking his face into her hair.

Ally noted the way his body towered over hers, trying to remember this touch for the entire coming month. She broke into the smallest smile. There was no possible way to forget the way his touch felt against her skin.

Austin breathed in the scent of her hair for remembrance, and kissed her shoulder affectionately. Still wrapped in his arms, Ally distanced herself slightly and leaned in to kiss him one last time before he left her.

Austin deepened the kiss, gliding his hands up through her lengthening hair. Ally moaned into his mouth before letting go of his lips and sinking back into his chest. Austin glided his hands down her arms, gripping affectionately to her fingers. He brought her left hand up closer to his vision, looking closely at the engagement ring perched on her finger. Ally stared at it too, until Austin closed his eyes once again and knocked his forehead against hers, still gripping tightly to her hands.

"Austin!" they heard his manager yell. Austin opened his eyes to see his manager waiting a few metres away by the bus. He couldn't take it anymore. He kissed the top of Ally's head once and let go of her without warning. As if he wanted to relieve himself of the grief, or fearing he would cry in front of her, he kept a brisk pace and neared the bus.

Ally gasped at his departure, but choked in her own voice – no words fell from her lips. Speaking through her actions, she followed him obediently, trying to catch up with his pace. Then, knowing exactly why he hadn't said goodbye, she stopped by a lamppost and held it, turning away from the scene of him leaving. She clutched to her sun and moon necklace, leaning back against the lamppost.

Austin stopped briefly before he finally boarded the bus, painfully turning back to see his fiancée, leaning against a lamppost, watching him closely, and twiddling with her sun and moon necklace. A small smile perched on his lips, before he boarded the bus and the door closed behind him.

As the bus left, Ally felt the shy mist in her eyes becoming very real tears. It was silly - she reminded herself with a weak laugh – to miss him so much when he had barely even left, or gone for only a short period of time.

Trish approached Ally then, placing her hand on Ally's shoulder bone. "Don't be sad, come on. There's a lot of things we can organise while Austin's away." Trish suggested with a comforting smile.

Ally smiled slowly at her. "You're right," she sniffed. "Let's get out of here." And with that, the three friends left the very empty parking lot.

* * *

"This arrangement is quite pretty," Zoe commented dreamily, looking over a flower bouquet within the fourth florist shop they had visited that day. Ally looked over at the photo album Zoe had her eyes on, examining the bouquet design. It did match her and Austin's red and yellow theme, but with large white peonies and also very small violet coloured peonies neatly arranged towards the outer part. The more Ally looked at it, the more she liked it.

"I like it. I think I definitely want some peonies in there. I didn't realise how much I like them until now." Ally put in, proceeding to flip through another portrait album.

"What about this one!?" Carrie exclaimed in excitement, approaching the table Ally, Trish and Zoe were sitting at with a large bouquet of one too many coloured flowers. The bouquet size was unbelievably large also, and Ally was almost struck blind by the intensity of colour.

"Wow, Carrie!" she remarked with a laugh. "That is…" Ally began, unsure of how to describe her feelings politely.

"Hideous." Trish finished curtly, almost confused by the amount of colour in Carrie's hand.  
"Hideously _amazing_!" Ally corrected with a nervous laugh. Zoe raised her eyebrow.

"There is no way to be 'hideously' amazing." Zoe reminded Ally.

"Wow, does _anyone _have any feeling?" Ally burst out loud, not really speaking to anyone in particular at this point.

"Don't worry, I can just save this for mine and Dez's wedding." Carrie replied happily, moving away from the three of them. Ally shook her head and turned back to the portrait album in front of her.

"How about little red carnations and yellow lilies? The lilies have a little red through them as well." Trish trailed her finger to the photo of the very bouquet she described. Zoe immediately leaned over Ally's shoulder get a glimpse of the bouquet with Ally.

"And you could add some white peonies to your bouquet, and maybe have the white and violet peonies in ours." Zoe added, obviously loving the arrangement.

Ally looked up at her with a small smile. Zoe grimaced. "Okay, so maybe Carrie's love for colour is rubbing off on me, but I still think it'd look so sweet." She defended herself. Ally nodded.

"Well, it's definitely narrowed down to these …" Ally decided, placing her favourite paper cut out flower arrangements next to one another, and tilting her head to the side, looking at each of them closely.

At that moment, Georgia walked toward them and stood close behind Ally's chair, leaning down to look at all of Ally's favourite choices.

"What's a wedding bouquet without roses?" Georgia put in. Ally slammed her head down on the table in defeat, unable to respond, and obviously feeling the need to give up.

Zoe pursed her lips and patted Ally's shoulder supportively. "You don't have to decide right now. Maybe Austin can help you out later." She said. Ally brought her face back up and groaned.

"I am way ahead of you." Trish called out, flicking away through her phone before holding it toward Ally's vision.

Before she knew it, Austin's adorable face covered Trish's screen, flashing a large grin when he saw his fiancée before him. Ally smirked and almost blushed at the sight of him.

"Hey beautiful." he said. Ally blushed crimson.  
"Hey." She replied, looking at him through her eyelashes.

There was a silence before Trish came in to the picture.

"Hey." She repeated with an impatient grin. Austin rolled his eyes knowingly at Trish and sighed.

"Yeah, what's up Trish?" he prompted. Trish fiddled with her phone and showed Austin Ally's favourite flower arrangements.

"Ally can't decide which one she likes best. What do you think?" Trish asked.

Georgia leaned down toward Zoe.

"What makes Trish think Austin will care about a flower arrangement?" she asked airily. Zoe shrugged and let out a low chuckle.

"Ooh the peony and lily and carnation one is gorgeous!" Austin squealed. Zoe laughed and clapped her hands once together. Ally looked at her friend.

"Wow, he's a keeper, Ally. There's no way Chase would give me any sort of feedback on _flowers_." Zoe complimented as Ally smiled.

"Yeah, he's a keeper all right." She agreed.

* * *

_Three Weeks Later_

"How has it been, living without Austin for these past few weeks?" Carrie asked as Ally walked into her apartment living room with a lemonade pitcher in her hand. Ally sighed. It had been three weeks since Austin left for his North American tour but it had felt like three months.

"It's been pretty rough … I miss him so-" but Ally was cut short when Dez shushed her unashamedly. Ally furrowed her brow and stared at her fiancé's best friend.

"Shhh, Austin's concert is starting!" he cried, turning up the volume on the TV and reached over for the bowl of popcorn. Carrie seemed to forget she had even asked Ally a question and joined Dez in his intent stare at the television. Trish rolled her eyes and Ally just sat down next to her, also slightly excited to watch his live performance.

Austin had agreed to performing in a live television special of his Atlanta concert through an interested sponsor who had inquired about broadcasting his concert live both online and on television, to achieve a wide American audience.

A blast of fire stage machines overwhelmed the 7.1 surround speaker system in Ally's apartment, making Dez jump back in his seat. Ally's heart burst with happiness as she saw a silhouette of her favourite blonde slowly approaching the centre of the stage. The crowd screamed and roared with cheer, but Austin kept his cool to abide by the concert routine Ally knew very well.

Another burst of fire erupted around the stage, and Austin's back up dancers flew through a synchronised dance routine. Ally couldn't help herself.

"Woooooooooo!" she screamed at the TV, like any other Austin Moon fan would do. Dez joined her faithfully and the two got up from their seats to join Austin in his first song. Carrie watched them with glee, while Trish recorded the whole thing on her phone.

_"What's up Atlanta!?"_ Austin screamed in the concert hall. Ally rocked from side to side, breathless from her and Dez's intense sing-a-long and caught Trish with her phone still pointed toward her.

"Trish! Did you film that whole thing!?" Ally demanded as she snatched Trish's phone from her hand. Trish laughed pathetically and shrugged it off.

"Whaaatttt?" she asked. Ally tilted her head to the side before Trish shook her head abruptly, beginning to defend her action. "Of course I did! It was too cute." she insisted. Ally smirked and handed her back her phone, plopping back down on the sofa.

"Can I upload it to my Instagram?" Trish asked sneakily with a giddy smile on her face. Ally sighed.  
"Sure..." Ally gave in, as Trish immediately went into her Instagram account to edit the video footage.

"Poor guy, he looks pretty tired already." Dez commented, clenching his teeth together as they continued to watch Austin's concert. Ally widened her eyes at the screen and paid close attention to him.

"I guess he's just not as athletic as he once was … It's okay. He's still really passionate about his music." Carrie defended him. Ally laughed under her breath.

"I wouldn't tell him that if I were you though, he's become pretty sensitive about people telling him what he can and can't do … especially after Jimmy forbade him from performing. He just wants to prove to everybody he's capable of doing anything." Ally told her friends.

"Is he capable of wearing pants?" Trish asked out loud as she stared wide-eyed at her phone. Ally bugged her eyes out and immediately turned to her best friend.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ally cut in, leaning over Trish's shoulder before Trish hid the screen from Ally's sight. Ally tilted her head to the side, obviously anxious to know what Trish was talking about.

"Okay, but don't get mad. You know how prone celebrities are to getting tons of exposure." Trish broke in, bringing her phone back to Ally's line of vision.

"Show me what the hell you're talking about." Ally demanded, looking down closely at Trish's phone, hearing Trish sigh.

"So apparently Austin walked from his dressing room all around the backstage before his concert without any pants or even a shirt for that matter. He's in his boxers." Trish explained, scrolling through the Austin Moon hashtag. Ally fumed with fury, snatching Trish's phone from her hand once again and looking closely at the multiple shots of Austin's almost nudity. Carrie peered over Trish's shoulder as well to get a look.

"Man, he does have a nice body though." She commented out loud, receiving a nasty stare from Ally.

"Now why the hell is he in his underwear?" Ally asked out loud.  
"I think he was dared by a fan, here there's a video." Trish explained, clicking on a video.

"There's a _video_!" Ally repeated in disbelief, pursing her lips into a straight line. Trish narrowed her eyes at Ally briefly.  
"Video_s_." She corrected her, before proceeding to play the first clip.

_In the video, a fan behind the camera asks if Austin has abs, or a six pack, and even though Austin replies yes, the cheeky fan says she doesn't believe him and dares him to show the group of fans. _

_When Austin refuses at first, the fans call him chicken to which Austin replies; "Chicken! I don't think so …" and proceeds not only to take off his shirt, but also his pants._

_In the last clip, Austin runs up and down a backstage hallway, where fans cheer him on for his nerve and his abs. _

Trish closed the videos and looked at Ally, who just sat still on the couch, seeking revenge rather than feeling upset over the whole situation.

"Oh, he is gonna pay for this." and with that, she picked up her own phone to make some flight arrangements.

* * *

**Haha what do you think Ally is up to? ;) And I am so happy Austin can make music again in A&amp;A! I hope we get to see some songs from him soon! What'd you think of this chapter? **

**I'd love to see a review or two if you liked this chapter. :) **


	22. Chapter 22: The Great Scheme

**Hi there! I spent literally all day (since it's my day off) writing this chapter for you all. I LOVED writing this one and couldn't wait to upload it so apologies if there are some unchecked errors. I was too keen! xD**

**Anyway hope you enjoy it as much I enjoyed writing this one. It's a bit fun and mischievous but also super romantic so that's always a plus for us Auslly fans ;) **

**Disclaimer(s): I do not own Austin and Ally or any of the characters associated with it. Nor do I own 'Neverending Love' by Roxette. (A great song if you want to play it as it appears!) **

* * *

"Ally, don't you think you're going a bit far? And I don't just mean the distance. I mean it's sweet if you wanted to just see him, but I mean _this_ is …" Trish cut in as Ally hastily rummaged through her bag. Ally was about to get into a taxi to the airport, heading for Austin's concert location in Dallas, Texas.

"No I do not think I'm going too far," Ally said firmly. "And I don't know why I even told you my plan in the first place." She huffed, tapping her fingers on the top of the taxi.

"And I thought revenge was one of your most favourite things on the face of the earth." Ally reminded her, squinting her eyes slightly at her friend. Trish raised her eyebrow, thinking for a moment.

"Ha! You're right … You go for it!" Trish corrected herself abruptly, causing a very smug smile to appear on Ally's lips.

"Now that's more like it." Ally said with a mischievous grin, climbing into the taxi.

* * *

"Hey Tina. Where is the star of tonight's show?" Ally asked Tina, Austin's tour manager. Tina looked up slightly confused, and almost startled to find Ally Dawson standing there.

"Ally, Hi! Um, he's in his dressing room. He's getting dressed for his next set." She replied, pointing down the backstage hall to a dressing room with the door closed and a light illuminating through the bottom crack.

"Perfect." She whispered. "Would you mind terribly if I borrowed the key to his dressing room? I want to surprise him." she said as sweetly as possible. Tina brightened and almost beamed at her.

"Aw that's so sweet! He goes on about you all the time. I'm sure he'd jump out of his skin to see you now." She said, handing Ally the key. Ally grinned.

"I can't wait." She replied, clutching to the key through the clench of her fist and almost marching down the hallway.

Ally slowly and as quietly as she could, turned the key in the key hole and opened the door slightly to find Austin in only his underwear, looking at his phone. Ally smiled smugly, and moved through the door to his room, and quietly shut the door behind her. The noise caused Austin to jump slightly and reach to grab something to cover himself.

"Hey! What do you think-! _Ally_!?" He almost couldn't believe it.

He dropped the piece of clothing and ran to Ally, lifting her up from the ground and spinning her, kissing her jawline repeatedly. Ally giggled and caressed him closely, suddenly feeling lost in his touch. She kissed his cheek, his nose, his neck, his jaw, and finally found his lips.

Ally was surprised how quickly Austin had cast a spell over her. It almost caused her to rethink going through with her plan. But she enjoyed his kiss so much, she wrapped her arms around his neck and let the kiss go on for however long he wanted. When he parted from her lips to catch a breath, he bumped his forehead against hers and smiled, then let out a laugh of slight relief.

"Am I dreaming?" he whispered. Ally ran her fingers down his bare shoulder blade and smiled.  
"Yes." She replied simply, but pinched his skin slightly to prove him wrong.

Austin laughed again, pulled her closer to his body, looking down at her lazily as Ally flipped her hair behind her shoulders and continued looking at him.

"But what are you doing here? You have your own tour to get ready for next week." Austin reminded her, pulling her down to the couch with him, letting Ally sit down on his lap.

"There was something I needed to attend to here before I left for my tour." Ally replied simply. Austin held the small of her back and drew her close to his face again.

"And what's that?" he asked in a whisper. Ally tilted her head to the side and drew circles on his back.  
"A certain popstar's body." She said. Austin narrowed his eyes from side to side but shied away slightly.

"Come on, Alls. My next set is coming up." He reminded her. Ally curled her lips at the corner and sighed.

"Well that's a downer." She pouted, slouching down on the couch next to him instead.

"After my show, I promise." He promised, getting up from the couch. Ally narrowed her eyes slightly to him, and smiled, sighing. She turned to him fully now, leaning her elbow on the head of the couch.

Austin pulled a dark red shirt over his arms but left it open as Ally spoke up again. "So, I saw your video." She broke in, with a fake smile on her lips. Austin scrunched his eyes slightly to figure out what she meant.

"What video?" he asked, genuinely confused. Ally let out a deep breath and slouched on the couch again, taking out her phone and bringing the video to her screen. She held her phone to Austin's sight and Austin watched it, his face suddenly turning a blush pink.

"Oh, _that _one … It was just a dare, Alls. Nothing to get protective about." He said simply.

Ally stared at him for a moment, then nodded slowly. She got up from the couch and neared him again as he did the buttons at the cuffs of his shirt, seeing his pants hanging off a rack close by. She slyly took them from the rack and held them tight in her grip.

"Nothing, huh? So I can take these 'show pants' from you now and you wouldn't care?" Ally threatened, backing up toward the door again.

Austin drew his attention away from the cuffs and looked behind him confused. "What?" he blurted out.

Ally suddenly made a break for the door, flying it wide open and running down the hallway with Austin's pants in hand.

"_Ally_!" Austin screeched. He held the doorframe for a moment, looking around to see which direction she had gone. He saw her running further down backstage, and bolted after her.

"Give me back my pants, Ally!" he screamed, sliding slightly on the slippery floor due to his lack of shoes, only wearing white socks. Ally however was wearing her sneakers for the occasion and continued running wherever she could find a turn or hallway.

"No way, buster! I had nothing to get protective about, _remember_?" she screamed back. Austin was chasing her as fast as he could but the waxed floor restricted him from picking up full speed.

"What has that got to do with you taking my pants!?" he shouted after her, stopping for a moment.

"You had no problem being the exploited object of a fan's video, you shouldn't have any problem getting out on stage with no pants on. End of story." Ally explained briskly when she stopped, parading his pants over her head as Austin took a breath a few metres away from her.

"Come on, Ally. You know I can't get on stage with no pants on. Give them back." He persisted.

Ally pressed her lips into a thin line. "No." she rolled off her tongue.

"Come on," he breathed tiredly. Ally shrugged her shoulders and turned a corner again, heading back to where she had entered backstage.

"Ally!" he wailed, chasing after her again.

Ally reached Tina again, and smiled brightly at her. Tina seemed completely shocked by the chase, looked around mindlessly, but finally saw Austin and stopped him by stepping in his path, Ally pausing a metre behind her.

"Austin, you're on in less than seven minutes. What is going on?" she pressed. Austin looked from Tina to the very smug Ally. He pointed at Ally like an annoyed first-grader.

"Ally won't give me my pants, Tina!" he wailed in a childish tone. Ally rolled her eyes.

"Wuss," she hissed. Tina turned to Ally.

"Now I know you two are engaged, but why won't you give him his pants?" Tina asked, trying not to laugh.

"He took them off for the whole internet to see and now he's embarrassed to be running around backstage in his underwear. Doesn't quite match does it?" Ally pressed. Tina listened but turned to see both of them.

"Now I can't come in a matter between both of you, but all I know is that you need to be on stage soon, so please work this out before you have to get out there – pants or no pants." Tina finished, marching off to organise something else.

Austin went to stop Tina but stopped himself. Ally took this opportunity to bolt again for his room. Austin noticed and ran after her.

"Come on Ally!" he ran for his room too, and locked the door behind him. Ally held the pants behind her back.

"Stop acting like a child, and give me my back my pants." He stated, growing tired of asking over and over again. Ally stood at one side of the couch, while Austin stood at another, and the two ran around the couch as they spoke.

"I will give them back when you say you're sorry." Ally replied quickly.  
"I'll say sorry when you give me back my pants." Austin retaliated, nearing her, making Ally step back again.

"Say you're sorry first." She repeated solidly.

Austin crawled over the couch toward Ally. "Give me my pants." He repeatedly said, trying to reach behind her back for them as Ally repeatedly said, "Say you're sorry first," walking around the couch again.

Austin took a leap and finally grabbed his pants from Ally's hands before Ally could react.

"Ha! Thank you very much." He said, getting up from the couch and proceeding to pull on one leg of his pants.

"You little sneak." Ally hissed.

"We both know I have a set coming up in a few minutes, babe." He said smugly, feeling slightly victorious. Ally pursed her lips and grabbed the other leg of his pants, making Austin jump in the path Ally pulled him.

"You still haven't apologized to me!" she screamed, pulling him far enough so he would fall down on the couch as she continued holding the other leg of his pants.

"For what?" he shouted back, slightly shocked with the suddenness of his new position on the couch.  
"For taking off your pants!" she screamed, lowering down towards his face.

Austin lifted his head a little to her as well. "Come on, why are you so sore about this?" he asked, trying to level with her. Ally pressed her lips together before answering.

"I don't think you understand how I feel about this," Ally began, sitting on the arm of the couch as Austin sat up and shuffled to stand up again. "How would you feel if I took off all of my clothes … down to underwear in front of a bunch of guys just _'because it was a dare', _as you put it?" she went on.

Austin looked away from her for a moment.

"But those little legs of yours are mine." Austin muttered possessively, almost knowing he was in the wrong now. Ally smiled at the corner of her mouth.

"Yeah, well, that's how I feel about you. The only person who should be allowed to see you like that is …" Ally cut herself short, suddenly worried she sounded too possessive and jealous at the same time. Maybe she was overreacting …

But when Austin leaned close to her and whispered, "You," Ally let out a sigh of a relief and smiled.

"So you don't think I'm being too possessive or jealous?" Ally prompted. Austin took a firm grip on Ally's hand.

"We're getting married soon, I'm going to be wholly and completely yours. I already am. You have every right to be." He assured her, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it affectionately. "I am so sorry, Ally. I promise I'll never do anything like that again." He went on, now bringing her waist close to his body.

Ally held his chin in the palm of her hand and kissed his cheek quickly. "I love you." She said.

Austin smiled, studying her eyes very closely. "I love you." He replied. And with that he kissed her lips, and Ally kissed him back affectionately.

"_Now_ can I get ready for my set?" he said hopefully as Ally rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Yeah, go knock 'em dead." She granted, smacking his back as he quickly got up from the couch, buttoning up his shirt and grabbing his blue blazer from the rack. After he rolled up the sleeves of his jacket and checked his appearance in the mirror, he looked at Ally and held out his hand.

"Come on." He offered, as Ally took his hand and they walked toward the stage.

* * *

As they approached the side of the stage, Ally let go of his hand and Austin turned back to her. Ally winked at him and shoved him to centre stage, causing a roar of applause in the audience.

Austin clapped his hands together over his head in time with his fans and suddenly the lights dimmed down, sparks flying from the sides of the stage as Austin began his number.

Ally clapped along with the crowd, smiling giddily as she watched her fiancé do what he did best.

When he finished two songs, Ally screamed for Austin just as loud as his fans, clapping repeatedly and smiling. Austin thanked his fans and turned to look at Ally. He grinned at her as Ally smirked at him, then brought the microphone back to his lips.

"So I have a friend here … And she's a singer …" before Austin could even finish his sentence, the crowd screamed, knowing all too well of the connection between Austin and Ally.

Austin chuckled a little bit, glancing over at Ally for a moment who just grinned at him. "She's insanely talented … and she's also my partner … in crime that is." Austin went on humorously, as Ally laughed and similarly heard scattered laughter and screams coming from the audience.

"She's the love of my life … and she's my fiancé. Do you guys think I should bring her out here?" Austin called out to the audience. The roar of screams and applause was so loud Ally almost held her ear but couldn't stop smiling.

Austin laughed. "I think that's a yes. Ally, come on out here!" Austin called into the microphone, as Ally almost hesitantly came out on stage. Austin nodded reassuringly to her and held out his hand, waiting for her to draw close to him.

A sound technician quickly approached Ally and handed her another microphone. Ally politely thanked him and proceeded to walk on stage.

Ally approached him, waving high for the audience and reached for his hand, both locking their fingers together. Ally reached up to whisper in his ear, and Austin leaned down to listen.

"But I didn't dress up for this." Ally admitted solemnly. Austin laughed.  
"You always look perfect, Alls." he assured her. Ally shook her head with a low chuckle.

"You are so cheesy." She commented.  
Austin laughed. "Yeah, but I mean it." Ally shook her head once again and turned back to the audience.

"Everyone, give it up for Ally Dawson!" Austin introduced, as Ally waved again and she held her microphone to her lips.

"What's up, Dallas!? Has he been behaving tonight?" Ally pointed at Austin humorously. The crowd only screamed in response, but Austin tilted his head to the side at her.

"Why do you have to do that?" he said into the microphone. Ally laughed.  
"I'm just kidding. You guys wanna hear a song?" Ally called into the microphone. The response was positive and Austin leaned down to whisper in her ear, discussing the song they would sing.

When they finally decided, Austin turned around to inform his band. Ally looked at the audience and brought the microphone to her lips.

"So this next song is one of our favourite 80s tracks, and we hope you guys can sing along with us." Ally finished before stepping back to be in line with Austin, proceeding to start the song. The band beautifully started the 80s vibes on their instruments, causing Austin and Ally to dance in time with the music.

Ally:

_Chasing your shadow,  
The senses together,  
Four-leafed and clever  
I come from behind_

Austin:

_Chasing your shadow,  
I wander in circles,  
You're one in a million,  
We're two of a kind._

Ally:

_It's you that I long for, it's you that I hunger,  
Oh you are the maker of waves in my mind._

Together:

_We dance in the moonlight,  
A run on the wire,  
Drawing a fine line,  
A never ending love._

_The fever turns slowly into a fire,  
Drawing a fine line,  
A never ending love._

Ally:

_Chasing your shadow,  
Moon and the water,  
Field and the reaper,  
Star and the sky._

Austin:

_Chasing your shadow,  
Hammer and heartbeat,  
Clay and new concrete,  
I follow the signs._

Ally:

_It's you that I long for, it's you that I hunger,  
Oh you are the maker of waves in my mind._

Together:

_We dance in the moonlight,  
A run on the wire,  
Drawing a fine line,  
A never ending love._

_The fever turns slowly into a fire,  
Drawing a fine line,  
A never ending love._

(Repeat 2x)

As they began to close the song, Austin and Ally neared each other and brought their microphones close, looking at each other playfully and dancing, reaching the high pitches of the song.

When they finished, they both turned back to the audience and smiled wholesomely, welcoming the wholesome applause.

When they got off stage, Austin pulled Ally rather aggressively to him and kissed her full on the mouth, catching her by surprise.

"Please tell me you're staying the night." Austin whispered. Ally looked up at her fiancé.

"Of course I am. But I have to leave right in the morning." She told him sadly. Austin kissed her temple.

"Then we better kiss a little faster." He barely finished his sentence before diving for her lips once again. Ally moaned into his lips, trying to gently pull him away.

"Austin, you have to finish the concert." Ally reminded him in a very low tone. Austin sighed but looked back at the stage and was suddenly eager to get back up there.

"You and I both know you want to be out there right now." Ally whispered as he looked at the stage.

Austin looked back at her. "Will you be here when I get back?" it came out sounding like a request.

Ally placed her hand on his cheek. It only took a moment of eye contact to tell him that she wouldn't want to be anywhere else right at this moment. At times, this was the best way they could really communicate with one another.

Austin grinned and kissed her cheek loudly and a little longer than expected, making Ally laugh and playfully shove him back toward the stage. Austin chuckled and ran back to the stage, looking back at her one more time before getting straight into his next performance.

* * *

**A bit on the longer side but a couple of you have been requesting for longer chapters. Thank you so much for the reviews on the last chapter by the way! I really appreciate it :) **


	23. Chapter 23: I Hate Goodbyes

**And she's back from an unplanned hiatus! I am soooo incredibly sorry everyone! I got carried away with my overseas exchange program and I got so busy I couldn't find a spare moment to write on my favourite story. **

**So anyway if you've forgotten what happened before this chapter don't be shy and just read Chapter 22! :) I want this story to be on the longer side so I'm not going to rush into the end ... there are a lot of little plots and plot twists I have planned so please stay tuned. I didn't want Austin and Ally to end before I could get to the end of my own story, because now I feel like I have to stay true to what happened in the show, but I'm trying to adapt and somewhat ignore what happened in the show. While it ended beautifully, I still want to share how I think their lives would've panned out. **

**So anyway, enjoy this chapter! I'll be uploading another very shortly and I promise from now on I will basically upload one chapter a week (hopefully!)**

* * *

The next morning, Ally opened her eyes to find herself in between golden sheets and covers and pillows. An unfamiliar bedside table told her she was definitely not at home in her own bed. When she shuffled slightly, she smiled, feeling a pair of strong arms around her waist, preventing her from even moving slightly.

Ally peered over her shoulder and saw her favourite blonde mop of hair in a messy state, his eyes closed and his chest heaving peacefully. Ally turned again to look at the time and saw it was only 6.30am. She would have to leave in just under 4 hours. Remembering that they would be apart again in such a short time, Ally sunk herself softly and slowly back into the shape of Austin's body, burying her forehead against his shoulder blade, causing Austin to just lean his chin on her scalp.

* * *

For the third time, Ally felt a tug on her arm as she tried to worm herself away from Austin's grip. While at first she didn't want to leave either, she really did have to get ready and leave.

"Okay, this isn't funny anymore, Austin! I have to go!" Ally cried, almost breathless from the energy he seemed to be taking from her as she squirmed.

"No," Austin replied simply. "You're not leaving." He explained. Ally breathed in carefully.

"I don't want to, but you know I have to get ready for my tour." Ally said softly. Austin drew her close into his grasp, hugging her tightly from behind.

"Why can't we constantly be together … all day, every day, no matter what?" Austin whispered. Ally smiled, bringing her hand up to Austin's chin.

"We are, you know that. But we agreed that we would do these tours on our own," Ally explained, turning around fully to face Austin. "And we're going to be married soon Austin. You're gonna have a tough time getting rid of me then cause I'm going to vow in front of everyone, that I will always be by your side." She went on.

"Promise?" Austin asked quietly. Ally's heart jumped a little. Even though they had been together for so long, she couldn't help but always encounter the feelings of a first crush when he spoke like this to her.

Uncontrollably giddy, she brought his cheek closer to her lips and kissed it softly. "I promise." She said without blinking.

Austin brought her close once again and kissed her forehead ever so softly, leaning his nose down toward to face. Ally closed her eyes, suddenly realising they were saying goodbye … _again_.

"No." Ally murmured under her breath. Austin just kissed her forehead again in response.

"I'll be home soon … and we'll be together again. I will never leave you again." He muttered as if he was almost angry with himself.

"No more leaving. None. Not after this." Ally muttered back. They were silent for a moment. Realising that she did not want to cry all over again after parting with him, Ally saw a pair of Austin's pants on the bed and snatched them again, running for the living room.

Austin only laughed this time since he was already wearing his pants, but chased her anyway until they were both laughing so much they couldn't go on any further. Ally leaned against the couch's arm, trying to steady her breathing.

"So, what have we learned from my little surprise visit?" Ally prompted, throwing Austin's jeans right into his stomach across the room. Austin caught them swiftly and quietly laughed to himself.

"Not to showcase my body freely because it upsets you." Austin chanted fairly simply. Ally widened her eyes.

"And?" she prompted again. Austin raised an eyebrow. He stood there silently for a moment.

Ally shook her head. "That we rock 80s songs, duh?" Ally laughed. Austin laughed too but nodded.

Ally decided it was finally her time to leave, so she picked up her bag and headed toward her small dark red suitcase.

"Speaking of which, have you decided the songs for our wedding yet?" he asked casually. Ally looked up at him.

"I'm still thinking … but I think it should come from a really important time in our lives … maybe one that reflects you know, us." Ally explained. Austin nodded.

"Senior prom." Austin stated rather plainly. Ally widened her eyes, unsure of what he meant.

"What about the senior prom?" she asked.

"What do you remember about it?" he asked. Ally smirked a little.

"It was the first night we …" before she could go on, Austin cut her off with a smile.  
"Right. Something really important happened to us that night, Ally." He went on. Ally was definitely unsure now.

"Something else …?" she prompted. She hated being put under the spotlight like this. She was sure she already knew what Austin was talking about, but his subtlety was making her feel uncertain.

"Yeah … think about … you might realise why I mentioned it." Austin said with his dangerously cute grin. Ally shook her head and smiled. She painfully adored it when Austin was like this.

"Okay." She replied, extending the suitcase's handle to its height. She turned to him.

"I love you." She whispered, falling into his grasp once again.  
"I love you." He whispered back, kissing the corner of her forehead and kissing her sweetly.

* * *

When Ally seated herself in the flight, ready to take off, she was suddenly feeling fatigued. She was somehow always like this before take off, feeling sleepy just before the plane would settle itself in the air.

She tried to remember the senior prom closely, trying to figure out just what Austin could have possibly meant.

* * *

**How'd you like it? Hope you did! Next chapter is going to be entirely a flashback into Austin and Ally's Senior Prom, and what Austin is referring to. :)**


	24. Chapter 24: When We Were Seniors

**So this chapter is entirely a flashback to Austin and Ally's senior prom. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I've had it written out for months because I knew I would use it at some point. I originally had Ally accepted into the Music School in New York they talked about in the first season, but to fit with season 4 I used Harvard and twisted the plot a little. **

**Hope you enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin and Ally or any of the characters associated with it. Nor do I own 'Cherry Wine' by Hozier. (feel free to listen to it as it appears ;) )**

* * *

_Senior Year – Six Years Earlier_

"Yeah, I know she's gorgeous, pal. Keep walking, she's mine." Austin said coldly, laughing anxiously with his arm clearly linked in Ally's. Ally turned to him under her huge lashes with a look of discrepancy in her eyes.

"Austin, everybody knows we're dating. You don't have to do that to every guy that comes our way." Ally reminded him. She was flattered that he was jealous or in any case possessive of her, but she didn't like to see the anger in his eyes whenever he got this way. Austin grunted and pulled her forward in the line.

"I'm sorry, I just get a little … jealous, when guys look at you." Austin muttered.  
"Well, don't. You're getting yourself upset over nothing." Ally replied simply. Austin laughed.

"Easier said than done." He remarked as Ally shook her head and sighed.

A group of girls were about to pass Austin and Ally on the outside of the line for senior prom, and while most of them seemed quite taken by Austin the pop star, one girl seemed eager enough to make a move.

"Hey, Austin. You're looking …" but she was cut short when Ally lifted her linked arm, showcasing her and Austin's hands.

"Think you need a trip to the eye doctor soon? He's _mine_." Ally gestured toward their arms, as the girl made a face at Ally and left with her friends. Ally watched them leave, still glaring at the girls when she remembered the conversation she had with Austin only a few minutes earlier. She turned to Austin who looked entirely smug, forcing back a laugh.

"I told you." He said, tilting his brow slightly. Ally laughed lightly under her breath and collapsed into his chest.

"Okay, I'm possessive over you too, is that so terrible?" Ally mumbled into his chest. Austin only laughed in response.

"Hey, maybe someday people are gonna stop hitting on us and we'll stop being so possessive." Austin mused, as Ally nodded.

They finally neared the entrance to the senior prom, and caught the photographer flashing photos of the couples heading into the event room. The photographer had a backdrop set up to the right of the entrance.

This year, the senior prom was being held at a country club-like venue, which pleased Ally. It was a huge step up from the gym the previous year, but nothing could have made that prom night more perfect in Ally's mind. It had been the night she and Austin had finally decided to stop kidding themselves and commit to a relationship.

Wearing a lavender coloured full-length gown, Ally wore her wavy hair out as usual, but had loose braids on either side of her head, connecting at the back with floral lavender hair pieces. Austin wore a black suit, with a black tie and swept his hair upright for the night.

"Smile!" the chirpy photographer called from behind her camera. Ally pulled Austin cheerfully toward the backdrop and placed her hand on Austin's chest as Austin held her waist and they both smiled toward the camera. The flash went off, and the photographer excitedly peered from behind her lens to look at the couple.

"Austin Moon and Ally Dawson? The singers, right?" she asked, as Austin and Ally nodded, barely responding but kept a smile on their lips. The photographer gasped.

"I've been trying to get a photo shoot in with both of you, but I've never been able to get in touch! My name is Sandy, by the way. Do you think possibly …" but before she could go on, Austin held out his hand to her.

"I'm sorry, Sandy, was it?" Austin interrupted gently. Sandy nodded and waited for him to go on. "Tonight Ally and I would really appreciate just being normal high school seniors … since it is our senior prom," Austin began. Ally nodded.

"It's just that we spend so much of our time on music we barely ever have time for the high school stuff. If you'd like to, you can find us at the Music Factory in the Mall of Miami, we'd love to talk to you there." Ally went on politely. Sandy held up her hand in surrender and looked down.

"100% understood. Go and enjoy your prom!" and with that she took another picture of them, potentially blinding the couple before they went into the event room hand in hand.

Inside, all the Marino High seniors seemed to be having a blast. Ally could hardly contain the wide smile forming on her lips. She looked up at Austin and gripped tightly onto his fingers again, pulling him toward the dance floor. They danced for hours, having fun with their friends and their dates, and drinking punch and eating finger foods.

"Come outside with me," Austin whispered in Ally's ear as she clapped along with her friends. She turned to Austin and instantly took his hand, letting him lead her to the courtyard outside. In the courtyard, a few couples seemed to slow dancing, as the song had changed.

* * *

_Hozier – Cherry Wine_

The entire courtyard was covered in little warm fairy lights and lanterns, cascading the vines that hugged the poles and the trees, the plants, anything that stood in the courtyard. Whoever was on the prom committee this year had done a beautiful job, in Ally's opinion. Austin lifted Ally from the ground ever-so slightly, making her squeal.

"I am capable of walking, you know." She reminded him with a smirk. Austin laughed.  
"I know, but I'm just so good at carrying you." He replied, placing her down on the pavement centred in the courtyard, but not letting her free from his grasp. He held their hands up high and placed his right hand on Ally's waist as she clutched to his shoulder blade close to her body.

"How has it been, living the life of a normal high school senior?" Austin asked, referring to their prom night. Ally sighed.

"I don't think you and I will ever be able to call ourselves normal high school seniors," Ally replied. Austin nodded.  
"But you know, I think I'm okay with that. Neither one of us has ever been normal." He said. Ally narrowed her eyes from side to side in his stare, her pupils sparkling off the lights.

"I'm just so happy that I got to share it with you, Austin. This incredible life … high school and stardom. I never thought it could be accomplished, but it could." Ally said. Austin smiled.

"Cause we were together." He replied. Ally didn't say anything for a moment, she just stared into his eyes.  
"Are," she corrected, tightening the grip on their fingers. "I'm never leaving you." She went on simply but in a hushed tone.

"What happens when you get into a really lucky school far away from me? Like Harvard?" Austin asked quietly. Ally's heart quickened in pace, heat rushing through her cheeks.

"How do you know about that?" she asked back just as quietly.  
"It's true, isn't it?" Austin laughed shakily. "You got accepted into the school of your dreams, didn't you?" he asked. Ally's eyes grew wide and wet, she didn't know how to respond.

"I'm not going if you're not." Ally replied quietly. Austin sharply turned his gaze straight into her eyes.

"What? How could you say that? Ally, I'm so proud of you." He assured her, brushing her cheeks with his thumbs.

"If you're not going -if you're not going to be in Massachusetts, I'm not going either." She repeated, still shakily.

"Ally, listen to me," he whispered, causing Ally to look directly at him. "I stopped you from going to the music school of your dreams when we first met because I needed you." He began. Ally's eyes became misty, trying to fight back warm tears.

"Now that we're older, we're leaving high school … there's no reason for me to hold you back from every dream you've ever had. I can't keep you here, by my side all the time because I need you. You need to do this for you, Ally." He explained, slowly kissing her forehead.

"What if 'by your side' is where I want to be? What if my dream, is to only be with you?" Austin didn't say anything.

"So you can give up your career for me, but I can't give up a school? I can do whatever I want … and I all I want is you." she went on, sinking her cheek into Austin's shoulder.

"You don't have to decide right now. And don't you worry, I'll always be here." He replied, stroking her back as they swayed. For a moment they just rocked in their own little world, barely noticing, caring or remembering that other people existed.

"Austin?" Ally whispered.  
"Hmm?" he mumbled, brushing his lips through the crown of her hair.

"No matter what happens in the future, no matter what comes our way … will you promise me something?" Ally asked, taking her face away from his chest. Austin pierced his gaze into hers, trying to read where she was going with her words.

"Anything." He replied. Ally breathed carefully and looked down, trying to hold back the tears forming in her eyes as she looked back at the one person she cared the most for in the world.

"Promise me, that you'll never leave me. That we'll always be together, that nothing will ever come between us." Ally said slowly. Austin smiled slowly, kissing her forehead as Ally closed her eyes.

"There's nothing in this world that could separate me from you … You're my once in a lifetime, Ally. Nothing could ever come between me and my once in a lifetime." He breathed, running his fingers down her cheekbone and slowly taking hold of her chin as Ally found it extremely hard to breathe as he spoke.

"Nothing." He repeated in a hushed whisper. Ally closed her eyes and crashed her forehead against Austin's.

"I love you." She whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek. Austin caught it just in time and ran his thumb across her cheek.  
"I love you." He replied, taking her chin and bringing his lips to hers softly. Ally wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his body closer to hers, moulding him into her tiny frame. She deepened his kiss, with only the song playing inside to remind them that a whole world outside their own existed.

* * *

The pair walked back into their prom, and found Dez and Trish dancing with their dates. Trish approached them with a huge smile on her face.

"Where have _you_ two been?" she asked suggestively, winking at Ally. Ally seemed confused and laughed under her breath.

"We went outside for a minute." Ally explained, suddenly replaying the moment in her head. That moment would definitely become one of her favourite nights with Austin to date. She couldn't have pictured or planned such an emotional moment with him. The only other time she had ever felt this way was when Austin said he never wanted to lose her again and ultimately admitted that he loved her.

Dez suddenly came to them and continuously winked at Austin.

"Yeah, sure, _outside_." he said with a sneaky laugh. Austin narrowed his eyes, just as confused.

"Why are you two acting so weird?" Ally asked. Trish looked around her before she answered.

"People are saying that you two probably left to go do it." Trish whispered. Ally gasped in her spot, placing her hand over her chest, but Austin just looked smug.

"People are talking about our personal private lives!?" Ally pressed. Trish suddenly changed her expression.

"Huh? What!? Ha, no." she answered nervously, putting her hands on her hips. Ally shook her head and turned around to Austin.

"Isn't that just disgusting for people to stick their noses in our business like that?" she prompted Austin who immediately changed face to agree with Ally.

"Yeah, pssshhhh disgusting." He agreed half-heartedly, as Ally widened her eyes at him, knowing all too well that he was lying about the way he felt.

He sighed. "Als, come on. We're both musicians. You knew our private lives would never be private again." Austin reminded her. Ally just winced at his words.

"I don't know, that's just one thing I wish people wouldn't talk about." Ally went on. Austin just lightly smiled at the corner of his mouth sympathetically, pulling her to his side.

"Okay everyone! It's time to announce this year's Prom King and Queen!" the head cheerleader announced from the stage. A roar of applause came from the excited teenagers, and the foursome moved forward slightly.

"Any bets it's gonna be Austin and Ally again?" Dez's date, Zara asked with a smirk. Ally smiled to her but shook her head.

"I hope not, somebody else should get a shot this time, right Austin?" Ally said, putting her hand on Austin's arm. Austin let out a short guffaw.

"To hell with that, I wanna wear that crown again!" Austin replied, clapping his hands together loudly. Ally shook her head and commenced clapping as well.

"And your Senior Prom King is …. Dez Wade!" she yelled from the stage, as an eruption of applause came from the crowd. Austin, Ally and Trish, all shocked at first, soon cheered for their goofy friend as he triumphantly made his way to the stage.

Before the girl could say anything, Dez took the microphone from her abruptly and sighed proudly.

"I'd just like to thank my mom, my dad, my sister, my friends, Austin, Ally and Trish, my date Zara, my cat, my new pet pig and …" he listed, before the girl pulled on his collar.

"You're not really supposed to make a speech, Dez." She warned, but he shrugged her off.

"But more importantly, I'd just like to say … that no matter where you are in your life … no matter how much you dream something … you can always make it come true." He said seriously but still goofily, as the crowd cheered for him. Ally turned up to Austin and caught him staring at her.

Ally smiled shyly.

"What?" she asked quietly. Austin shook his head.  
"You're so beautiful, Ally." He said simply. Ally blushed, but Austin took her chin in his hand and kissed her quickly. Ally looked up at him as he let go, and smiled through the mist forming in her eyes, wrapping one arm around his neck and hugging him tightly.

"Okay! And your Senior Prom Queen is … Trish De La Rosa!" she cried, as the crowd screamed again. Trish smiled in disbelief, looking from the stage to Ally. Ally grabbed her best friend and hugged her tight.

"Oh my god!" Trish breathed, before prancing over to the stage and letting the girl place a crown on her head.

"Wonder how this is gonna go …" Austin chuckled. Ally just smiled at her boyfriend and turned back to the stage.

Trish stood next to Dez who looked seriously at her.

"My queen …?" he gestured, pulling his hand toward her. Trish pursed her lips and quickly slapped his hand. Ally laughed out loud.

"You try anything on me during this dance and I'm gonna make you worm food!" Trish hissed, before resuming waving to her classmates. Dez looked around nervously, but slowly followed Trish down toward the dancefloor.

"Please join the Prom King and Queen out on the dance floor for the last dance of the night!" the girl called, as Trish and Dez began slow dancing at a safe distance.

As other couples joined them, Ally turned to Austin with a smile.

"You wanna dance?" Ally asked.

"Yeah," he exhaled slowly. "It's the last time we'll ever get to do this." Austin said, lifting his arm up to Ally as she took it willingly. He took her in a slow dancing position, and they danced through the song.

"Ally … I've been thinking, and no matter what you decide … I want you to know that nothing will ever change between us. I can't and won't ever lose you again, I know now that I'm not strong enough to endure that. When you decide to go to Harvard, just know that I'll always be with you. Always." He said. Ally only listened carefully, but his words sounded like her most favourite song in the whole world.

"I love you, Austin. Always." She replied.

Ally leaned in to kiss him, but Austin was too quick for her. He deepened her kiss so much that she let out a whimper, and ruffled her hands through his hair. Austin soon moved his hands to the small of her back, and when he reached her curves, Ally suddenly breathed heavily and let go.

"Do you wanna get out of here?" Austin whispered through his slow breaths. Ally, still recovering, nodded and gripped onto his waiting hand. Austin smiled at the corner of his mouth and led her back toward the exit.

* * *

"We've never really talked about doing this before, Austin." Ally mumbled, fidgeting slightly in her seat as Austin drove his car. Austin sighed.

"I know … but Ally, I'm _so_ ready. Are you?" he asked, trying to hide his anticipation. Ally slowly came to a smile and nodded.

"I am. I really am. I mean I always thought about it … especially those times on the bus during my tour when we made out and you always wanted to go further but I stopped you." Ally blurted out. Austin blushed red.

"You-you knew what I was doing?" he stammered. Ally laughed.

"Of course. Besides, you're a guy. There's only one thing on your mind. My dad made that _very _clear when we started dating." Ally replied, recalling the awkward talk she had with her father. Austin glanced at her defensively.

"Hey! There are lot of other things on my mind!" he defended himself childishly. Ally flashed him a knowing look.

"Like what?" Ally prompted. Austin let out a short laugh.  
"You know … stuff." He replied lamely. Ally burst into laughter.

"I rest my case." She said, leaning back in her seat and watching the scenery move past her as they drove.

"Where are we going?" Ally asked, suddenly realising she didn't know a private place they could be together. Austin smirked.

"My parents are away on a mattress convention, remember? We have the whole house to ourselves until Sunday." He replied. Ally lightly smiled.

"What are you gonna tell your dad?" he asked.

"I'll tell him the after party was so late I got so tired that I went and stayed at Trish's." Ally thought up quickly with a proud smile. Austin glanced at her with a smug expression on his face.

"You're going to _lie_?" he gathered. Ally just smiled.

"I want to do this." she repeated.

* * *

As Austin turned the key in his front door, he held the door open for Ally and she stepped inside with a subtle grin. Ally looked around, trying to remember every detail before a part of her life completely changed. Austin placed his hands over her shoulder blades, and Ally turned slightly to his touch, feeling the fire, the electricity, the heat burning between them.

Austin brushed his nose against Ally's cheek and slid it up her face, causing Ally to breathe a little more carefully. She turned around and covered her mouth with his, wrapping her arms straight around his neck. After a few moments, Austin found her curves again and Ally let go softly, leaning her forehead against his.

"Let's go to my room," Austin breathed, clutching onto Ally's tiny hand. Ally didn't react, she just followed him up the stairs to his room, when he locked the door. Ally laughed.

"Why are you locking it? We're the only ones here." She reminded him with a smile as Austin just pursed his lips.

"I don't know, I just want this to be the most private moment for us." He replied. Ally stopped smiling and walked closer to him again, backing him up against his door and kissing him on the mouth again.

"And you're really ready?" he breathed after a moment, looking down toward the ground. Ally nodded breathlessly, and without another word, Austin leaned down to the ground and used one arm to carry Ally's legs and the other to hold her back.

Ally laughed. "I feel just like a princess." She chimed sweetly as Austin leaned her down toward his bed. Austin grinned.

"You're my princess." He replied with a smile, before jumping on the bed with her and kissing her again.

One by one, pieces of clothing came off and soon Austin and Ally were lying underneath Austin's blue coloured bed covers, nestled up close with one another, smiling absently in silence. They both seemed to study each other's faces. Neither talking, neither exchanging ideas or facial expressions. It was a moment Ally would never forget … she would never redo the moment, she would never be able to re-enact such a perfect period of time.

Austin placed his hand over Ally's cheek and stroked her chestnut waves, causing Ally to close her eyes for a brief moment and hold his hand.

"I love you, Ally." He repeated. Ally shifted her body close to Austin again and leaned her cheek against his bare chest, kissing his shoulder blade.

"I love you." She whispered, as Austin kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her small body.

* * *

_Present Day_

The seatbelt sign flashed on above Ally's head, waking her from her pleasant daydream. A distant memory from so many years earlier, yet still held so true in her life to this day.

It was that night, that they had realised, and promised, to always be together. No matter what. And that's what Austin had meant. There was no way they would ever be separated ever again.

* * *

**Kind of a lovey dovey longish chapter but those are the best, right? haha. Please leave a review if you enjoyed this I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thanks! xx**


	25. Chapter 25: Home

**Guys I am so sorry this update is so incredibly late! I promised you all that I would update at least once a week last time, but I had a huge case of writer's block this last month. I'm trying really hard with this story, cause I want it to be perfect and detailed in every aspect of how a wedding pans out, but I also have high standards. Anyway, I'll try to update whenever I can, but right now I think I know how this story is going to go. I do hope you guys enjoy this chapter - the next few chapters will be a little more literal with the wedding process. **

* * *

"Thank you New York! You've all been such a wonderful crowd to accompany tonight, and I'm so glad because, this city is very special to me now. You've been beautiful, thank you so much!" Ally cried into her microphone before running off the large stage. A cheer quickly followed after her closing words, which pleased Ally very much.

"Ally, Austin called. He said for you to call him back when you get the chance." Trish said, handing Ally her phone.

Ally quickly took a drink bottle and took a large sip before she replied. "Thanks, Trish," she said, taking her phone from her.

Ally dialled her fiancé's number and waited for him to pick up.

"Hey, Pickle," – Austin said. Ally smirked at his nickname.  
"You've never been good at nicknames."- Ally commented. She heard a laugh at the other end.  
"Come on, you know you love it just as much as I do." - Austin replied slyly. Ally only smirked again, which Austin had evidently sensed.  
"See!? I knew it." – Austin said smugly. Ally laughed.  
"When are you coming home?" – Ally impatiently asked. There was a silence.

Austin had finished his tour almost two weeks ago, but he had decided to a bit of improvised travel with his bandmates. Ally hadn't minded at first, but she wanted him to come home. The reason being that her New York show was her last show of her tour, and she did not want go home to an empty apartment.

"We might be up here a couple of days more … but I promise I'll be with you sooner than you think." – Austin said. Ally sighed.  
"Where are you now?" – Ally tried to sound as interested as possible, even though she was more interested in hearing him come home.  
"Ohio, actually. Not a bad place really." – Austin tried, only to hear nothing back from Ally.  
"Are you mad?" – Austin asked. Ally tried to collect herself. She did not be one of the wives that kept their husbands from doing what they wanted. She smiled.  
"No," she sighed. "I'm happy you're seeing more of the cities you're visiting rather than just their best arenas and stadiums." – Ally scoffed. Austin laughed with her.  
"Good, because I don't like it when you're angry … especially with me." – Austin. Ally tilted her head to the side.  
"No, you have a good time. But come home soon, I … I miss you." – Ally admitted. She could almost see Austin nodding his head.  
"I promise. I'll be home very soon." – Austin promised.

"Okay, I love you." – Ally.  
"Love you, Pickle." – Austin.  
"Shut up." – Ally. Austin only laughed and they both disconnected.

"So, where's Austin? When's he coming back?" Trish asked as Ally put her phone in her bag. Ally sighed.

"He's in Ohio … He was supposed to come back tomorrow but he wants to travel a little more." Ally replied, slightly dazed.

Trish tilted her head slightly. "Oh, I'm sorry Ally, guess you're not gonna see him as soon as you thought." She said empathetically.

Ally only pressed the corner of her mouth in a tight squeeze, narrowing her eyes a little as she contemplated going home to a lonely apartment.

* * *

Ally turned the key to her apartment door and pushed it open. When she walked in, she was struck to find the entire apartment covered with dimly lit candles, red and yellow rose petals, and her favourite romantic songs playing over the speaker. Ally couldn't understand anything that was happening. She roamed around desperately, trying to figure out what was happening.

"What is going on?" she called out helplessly, trying to dull down her expectations as much as she could before they were not exceeded.

Ally saw a figure emerge from the living room, a tall figure she knew all too well. She was right. He had come home.

"Welcome home, Pickles." A husky voice called, bringing a bouquet of flowers to his front which he had been hiding behind his back.

"Austin!" Ally cried, running straight for him and grabbing the flowers with one arm, and jumping straight on to his chest, wrapping her legs around his waist and her hands around his neck.

This had to be a dream.

She didn't even expect the hot little tears to come streaming down her face. "You're really here? This is isn't a dream?" she whispered.

Austin had his arms strongly wrapped around Ally's back, and brought one hand to wipe a tear away with his thumb.

"I'm here. And I'm never leaving again." Austin whispered back, bumping his forehead into Ally's and kissing her nose slightly. Ally's tears were becoming very real.

"Neither am I." Ally mumbled, searching for his lips with her eyes closed.  
"Good." He muttered, unable to wait any longer to join his lips with hers.

He kissed her fully and softly. Ally responded back with the most tender enthuse. The world around them had finally stopped. Nothing could come in their way now. Austin pulled her closer to his body, yet Ally didn't believe it was close enough. She never wanted to be separated from him again.

The couple sat on the floor against the sofa, cuddling close together, their arms and hands intertwined.

"So … you lied." Ally scoffed. Austin raised an eyebrow at her.  
"Yeah, so I could surprise you with all of this." Austin pointed out.

"Still, that's a pretty bad thing you did. I might even have to teach you a lesson." Ally mused, shaking her head sarcastically with a sly smile.

"Oh? And what lesson would that be?" Austin asked, practically pulling her right into his lap.

Ally ran her fingers down his strong jaw line.

"This!" she suddenly screamed, beginning to tickle Austin in the places she knew he was the most ticklish. Austin let out his best squeal and began laughing frantically, begging for mercy. He tried to tickle her back but Ally was too quick for him.

* * *

_One week later_

"How about this one?" Ally picked up a wedding card template from the coffee table and held it in mid-air, allowing Austin to see too. Austin nodded.

"Yeah, I like this one. Let's use this one." Austin practically chanted. Ally looked from Austin back down to the dozens of card templates. Georgia had dropped off a few designs she had been working on to show Austin and Ally, to help them decide which they would use.

"But look at all these other ones? We should at least look at all of them." Ally suggested, picking up another. Austin sighed.

"Ally, they're all going to be perfect. We know how talented Georgia is, I'm not worried we're going to choose the wrong one." Austin pointed out.

Ally glared at him. "But we should at least decide if one is more perfect than another." Ally went on. Austin crashed his head back on the couch before leaning close over Ally's shoulder.

"Then, you decide Pickle. Whatever you pick, will be just fine." Austin said, kissing her jaw quickly. Ally furrowed her brow and looked at him.

"You don't want to have a say in your wedding invitation?" Ally raised her eyebrow. Austin only pressed his lips into a tight line before responding.

"Okay, look. As long as you give me full responsibility and trust in our wedding video, you can pick the invitation." Austin compromised.

Ally smirked. "What have you got planned for our wedding video?" she asked.

Ally caught a small glimmer in his eyes as he looked away, trying to hold back his smile as much as possible.

"You'll just have to wait and see," he said simply. Ally shook her head and proceeded looking through the templates once again.

Ally examined very carefully for the next few moments, and found that many designs seemed to almost strike her as aesthetically pleasing and perfect, but lacked the touch of Austin and Ally's personalities and she had once pictured. She might have been becoming a little too picky, so she tried to lower her expectations when suddenly, she saw it.

She took it in her hands and studied the card very closely.

It was thick piece of shimmering beige card, bordered with a thin line of a beautiful, deep shade of red. Diagonally sitting across the two top corners of the card were shiny golden and outlined with thin lines of evergreen, hand-drawn palm leaves.

A &amp; A

It is with abundant joy  
that together with their parents

ALLY DAWSON &amp; AUSTIN MOON

invite you to join in the celebration of their marriage

_Sunday the eighth of December  
at four in the afternoon_

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens,  
Miami, Florida

In a very light gold tone, almost silhouetting the text toward the bottom of the card sat a faded sun and moon, it was so very light but it was perfect.

"Austin, this one. This is perfect!" Ally cried, practically jumping in her seat. Austin pulled her back and took the card from her hands, studying it carefully.

He smiled. "Yeah, I like the sun and moon." He put in.

Ally's face glowed. "We can send them out as soon as possible! Austin I'm so excited!" Ally exclaimed, reaching down for her phone to dial Trish's number.

"Who are you calling?" Austin asked.  
"Trish, I'll ask her to come over." Ally replied.

At that moment, the doorbell rang and Austin jumped up to answer it. Ally pressed 'call' and held the phone up to her ear.

As Austin opened the door, Trish was already standing there with Dez standing behind her.

"Ugh! Why isn't Trish picking up? What if this was a maid of honour emergency? I swear, I really have to just rely on myself – Trish!" Ally cried from the living as she made her way to the kitchen.

Austin pressed his lips into a tight line, embarrassed for his fiancé. Trish came in, flashing a very smug yet unimpressed smile at Ally. Dez had a permanent smirk stained on his mouth as he followed close behind.

Ally got up from the couch and nervously made her toward the kitchen, letting out her most awkward laugh as she walked.

"What's up?" Ally asked between laughed, a shaky smile stained on her lips.  
Dez sighed. "Nothing, you were just bitching about Trish so I'm anticipating the cat fight that will ensue right about now," he chimed, falling down quickly in a chair at the dining table.

Ally bit her lip, but Trish only plopped her bag onto the table and pulled out her maid of honour folder.

"If I were so irresponsible, would I have all these RSVPs for the Kitchen Tea already?" Trish deliberated quite sarcastically.

Ally sighed. "Of course I don't think you're irresponsible, Trish-" but Trish cut her off.  
"Yes you do." she blatantly interrupted. Ally held her mouth open for a moment before going on.

"Okay, I do," she paused as Trish rolled her eyes. "But I know you just work differently – you somehow manage to work better under pressure, and while that might come out a little late – I'm okay with that." Ally breathed. Trish frowned slightly, but seemed less upset.

"Besides, I wouldn't want anybody else in the world to be my maid of honour." Ally put in sweetly, touching Trish's shoulder. Trish finally rolled her eyes in a forgiving manner and smiled along with Ally, as she pulled her in for a side embrace.

"Good, let's eat!" Austin cried plainly, heading toward the kitchen. Dez held his hands up mid-air.

"That's it? Where's the cat fight? Where's the 'you're fired' 'you're not my best friend'? Man you two have gotten soft." Dez commented flatly, pressing his lips into a tight line after he finished, his eyes shadowy.

"Not really, just mature." Trish corrected him.

A sarcastic laugh came from the kitchen.

"Ally – mature? Ha! Just this morning-" He began but Ally cut him short.  
"Hey, bring out the fritters, Austin!" she intervened nervously, following him into the kitchen with a glaring look on her face.

Trish only laughed and leaned her elbows over the kitchen bench.

"So what are we having?" she asked, looking at a plate of cling wrapped fritters in Austin's hand as he placed it near the stove top.

"Austin made cauliflower and potato fritters, stuffed mushrooms and you and I are about to make a salad." Ally explained as Trish only stared in awe.

"Austin! You really are the culinary genius, huh?" Trish commented, impressed. Austin flipped a spatula in the air and caught it swiftly in his other hand, looking at Trish seriously.

"Chef 'Awesomus', at your service." He replied coolly, turning to Ally with a wink. Ally only shook her head and shoved him toward the bench.

They all heard a squeal coming from the dining table and turned to see Dez, his mouthed shaped like an 'o' and obviously excited.

"Are you releasing a Chef Awesomus cookbook?" his eyes glowed. Austin smirked.  
"You know it!" he replied to his friend, tossing a kitchen towel in the air to show off just a little more. Ally rolled her eyes and headed back over to the dining table, sitting down across from Dez.

"So, we picked out an invitation! Do you guys wanna see it?" Ally beamed, practically unable to contain her excitement. A grimace came from the kitchen.

"Alls, can we keep some things a surprise?" Austin suggested, heating up a pan with oil. Ally scrunched her eyes slightly and tilted her head back.

"But they're our maid of honour and best man. Can't I show off just a little?" Ally asked. Austin sighed after thinking for a moment but smirked a little.

Ally took this as a yes and ran to the living room, retrieving their mock up invitation. She ran back and placed it down in front of Dez, who looked at it carefully. Trish peered over her shoulder, a smile forming on her lips.

"It's beautiful. So much subtle detail – Georgia really is talented." Trish commented, still looking at it. Dez appeared to be studying it harder though.

"Yeah, I just have to call her and talk printing and costs but we should-" but Ally was cut short when Dez took the mock up by hand and stood up from his seat.

"Uh, hello? There's no mention of my role in the party at all." Dez stated flatly, looking to Ally and then back at Austin. Ally raised an eyebrow confused, but Austin only frowned.

"Why would there be any mention of you?" Ally asked back just as flatly. Dez let out a sharp exasperated groan.

"Because of my countless duties? Best man, photographer, juggling performer-"  
"I'm sorry what? There is no _way _you're doing any of that but best man." Ally cut him off. Dez widened his eyes at her.

"I'm sorry, buddy. But you'll be one of the main people there anyway. Besides, you're definitely going to be mentioned in my speech." Austin comforted Dez. Dez looked back at his best friend and sighed happily, sitting back down.

Ally narrowed her eyes to the side and let out a small breath.

"Have you started writing your speech?" Trish asked Ally. Ally bit her lip slightly.  
"I haven't even written my vows yet. Besides its still pretty far away." She explained.

"Cool, so I don't have to write one yet either, right?" Trish breathed with a relieved laugh. Ally tilted her head to the side and only stared at Trish. When Trish saw her glare, she laughed nervously.

"I mean, I can't wait to start writing my speech!" she relieved herself, walking away awkwardly toward the kitchen. Ally shook her head and leaned over the table.

"Oh, since we're all here … I was talking to Chase and Brad while you were away, Austin," Dez began, signalling for Austin to tune in. Austin looked back at his friend and gestured him on with a nod of his head.

"We were thinking about going for a Jeep ride on the day Ally has her kitchen tea." He finished.

"A what?" Ally intervened.  
"A Jeep ride. Where we rent a Jeep and go for a drive up into the mountains or on a beach or something." Austin explained calmly. Ally looked from Dez to Austin, not nearly as calm.

"That sounds pretty dangerous …" Ally mentioned quietly.  
"Yeah!" Dez agreed with a goofy laugh.

Trish raised her eyebrow at Dez. "Since when do _you _like danger? I seem to remember the last 'intense ride' you did was that kid rocket ship in the mall of Miami. Heck you even threw up a few times!" Trish recalled with a sinister look.

Dez sighed dreamily, thinking about the rocket ship. "I still just love the thrill." He replied, as Trish rolled her eyes and gave a warning look to Ally.

Ally walked toward Austin with a worried look on her face. "I'm not sure about this, Austin. You could get hurt …" she said worriedly. Austin turned to her with quite an annoyed look on his face.

"Alls, it's just a drive. You know how good a driver I am." Austin breathed almost tiredly.  
Ally pressed her lips together in disagreement. "Speeding and dodging around every car 'in your way', in one of the busiest cities in the world is not 'good driving.'" She commented.

Trish snickered behind them.

"It's a slow city! Who wants to drive and stop and drive and stop!?" Austin defended himself before sighing. "Let me go on this drive to, _relieve _my road rage a little bit, huh?" he compromised.

Ally stared at him. "Sure, that sounds safe," she muttered sarcastically under her breath.

"I _promise _I'll be careful," he said, looking over at Dez. "Besides, it sounds like a fun thing for us to do while you girls have your tea." He went on.

"We'll take turns driving – and you know how slowly I drive." Dez put in.  
Trish scoffed a little. "Yeah, he'll be safe from that don't worry." Trish said to Ally as Dez side glanced her.

Ally sighed. "Okay, fine. But I want hourly updates!" she warned, pointing her finger at Austin. He beamed but then rolled his eyes.

"Yes – _mom_." He muttered. Ally widened her eyes at him.

"What did you say?" she interrogated him, seeing a nervous look on Austin's face.  
"I mean – I love you!" he saved himself, kissing her forehead quickly before turning back to his cooking process.

* * *

**Review, favourite and follow if you like it, and I promise you I'll update again soon. **


	26. Chapter 26: Tick Tock

**Thanks for getting this story to 200+ reviews lovelies! I really appreciate it. We're getting more into wedding mode now, so I hope you guys will enjoy this journey as much I am enjoying writing it! This chapter is a look into the preparation for Ally's Kitchen Tea, which yes, is basically a Bridal Shower but like a tea party filled with games and dainty food etc. ;) **

**Anyway hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

"Oh my god I can't believe I'm this late!" Trish muttered to herself, anxiously placing piles of silverware on each circular table in her large Manhattan apartment. After moving all of her furniture out of the way, the living space and a small amount of room between it and the kitchen easily became a formal dining area filled with seven circular tables. Each table was covered with an intricate lace tablecloth, with a vase of blue peonies, red carnations and white daisies as the centrepiece.

A few months had passed since Austin and Ally were finally at home together again, and somehow November had already come around to surprise Trish. The wedding would be in a month! As the maid of honour, Trish had no idea how much stress and pressure she would have to endure before taking on such responsibilities. Now, setting up this Bridal Shower on her own, that stress was very literal and it was not pleasant.

"Couldn't anybody help me? Why am _I _the only one setting up this damn Kitchen Tea? Where's Ally precious Zoe!? Ugh!" She groaned out loud, beginning to neatly place out each floral bordered plate on each table.

Ally had picked out the theme she wanted, which was an Old English Tea Party idea, and all Trish and the other bridesmaids had to do was bring it to life. After spending hours and hours on blogs and of course, Pinterest, Trish was sure Ally would love her Kitchen Tea. After all, Ally loved antiquities and tea parties and no one knew Ally's taste better than Trish.

Just as Trish brought out the vintage tea pots out to accompany the beautiful tea cups, her doorbell rang. Almost feeling a heart attack, Trish looked up at her clock above the kitchen and breathed a sigh of relief. It was only noon and the bridesmaids were supposed to come at three while the guests, including Ally would be arriving at four.

She opened her door to find Jace standing outside her apartment, with a wide grin on his face. Trish tried to hold back her excitement and only gave him a mild smile.

"What do you want?" she asked with a tender smile. While it was fairly abrupt, Jace didn't even appear to be offended. He looked rather happy in some way.

"A little birdie told me it's Ally's Bridal Shower today – and I thought I'd come by to see how you're doing." Jace replied, peering over Trish to see her progress for the festivities. Trish followed his gaze and took this opportunity to capture how far along she really was.

There was still a lot to do.

Ally was obviously a perfectionist, and Trish knew she would have to execute Ally's tastes and standards to the best of her own ability as she knew Ally would want everything to look and be nothing less than perfection.

She still needed to decorate the snack table, write on the tiny chalkboard signs she had bought, set up all the games she had planned, hook up the music connection …

Trish internally screamed, but turned back to Jace with a timid grin.

"It's going absolutely fine, thank you very much." She told him through her teeth. Jace looked down at her knowingly, obviously doubting that Trish was telling the truth.

"Oh, really?" he prompted. Trish's eyes narrowed to the side before she looked back at him.  
"Yeah. So don't you worry about it, okay? I have everything under control." Trish sustained firmly.

Jace let out a huge sigh.

"Okay, I'll head on home then." He finished, slowly moving away from Trish's doorframe.

Trish thought quickly about all the work she had left in front of her and felt the panic rush through her system once again.

"Well, I mean if you _really _want to help, that would be okay, I guess." she called after him.

She practically saw Jace's sheepish grin even with his back turned to her, and when he swirled around, the grin was indeed there.

Trish tried not to seem pleased or happy that he had turned and followed her into her apartment.

"I knew you couldn't do this on your own." Jace said. Trish just narrowed her eyes at him with a frown.

"How did you know Ally's Kitchen Tea was today anyway?" she asked him, heading into the kitchen.  
"I helped you send out those invitations, remember?" he reminded her. Trish nodded.

"Well okay, if you could line those tables along the back wall with these tablecloths," Trish jammed a pile of beige lace cloths into Jace's hand. "And then if you could align each table with five chairs – they're all in the spare room over there," Trish pointed over to the spare room as Jace followed her finger. "And if you could set each table with these little boxes of tea," Trish pointed to a clump of wooden boxes filled with fancy looking tea bags, each labelled in handwriting. "And if you could put these cups of sugar sachets on each table as well …" she explained, as Jace just continued looking at her confusedly. "That'd be great." She breathed, patting him on the back as she headed for the window seat filled with stacks of game cards.

Jace decided to place the tablecloths on the table first before proceeding with any other task Trish apparently had lined up for him. Trish slowly looked through each game she had planned, tying each pile of cards with twine in a cross formation.

"I get it, you gave me all the dirty work." Jace mused, however showing little reluctance for his jobs.

Trish looked over at him.

"It's all dirty work, Jace," she said with a chuckle, moving her gaze back to the cards. "Besides, _you _offered to help." She reminded him.  
"Yeah, to spend some time with you," he let out almost naturally.

Trish widened her eyes and turned abruptly to look at Jace, with a confused look on her face.

"What?" she asked. Jace obviously regretted saying so much.  
"I mean …" he began to come up with an excuse, but something in him weakened, and he sighed – slowly walking over to Trish.

"I miss hanging out with you, Trish." He admitted rather genuinely, so much so that Trish blushed and looked down.

"I mean, we didn't even really 'hang out' so to speak when we went out," he went on, using his fingers as inverted commas as he spoke. "But you're a lot of fun, and I miss that. I miss us." He finished.

Trish thought for a moment, then looked down again.

"We were pretty good, weren't we? No one's been able to put up with me and understand me as much as you ever did." she commented, remembering their teen dating.

Jace chuckled.

"Yeah, you're so different to any other girl I've met." He elaborated. Trish grinned at the corner of her mouth. Jace neared her then, kneeling down and touching her hand.

"Look Trish, I've been thinking a lot about you … us, the way things ended between us when I didn't want them to, and I really think we should give it another shot." He proposed, looking very tenderly at her.

Trish hadn't even really decided how she felt about Jace now. He did give her those same butterflies he once did when she was 17. And she adored the attention he gave her … the kind of attention she hadn't received in quite a while with boys. She had desperately tried time and time again to find someone who adored her like Jace, but had never succeeded. Perhaps she should give him another shot.

But suddenly, she remembered a very important little detail.

"What about – Candy?" she almost cringed in front of him as she said her name. Jace hardly changed his expression with the mention of her name – which bothered Trish slightly.

"What about her?" he asked. Trish got up from the seat and crossed her arms.  
"Well, isn't she your girlfriend?" she prompted, raising an eyebrow slightly. Jace slowly followed her up.

He breathed very lightly. "Candy … is not your concern, Trish …" he mumbled. Trish practically gawked at him as the words stumbled out of his mouth.

"Yes she is if we even consider getting back together!" she exclaimed, tightening her grip on her arms.

Jace only looked to the side.

"Look, I can handle Candy, Trish … But I really don't think you understand …" he drifted off again, because Trish's attitude was definitely coming through.

"What couldn't I understand? Jace, will you break up with her or not?" she charged looking at him directly in the eye. Jace uncomfortably shifted from side to side.

When there was a silence, Trish spoke again.

"Are you, confused?" she prompted. Jace glance at her quickly before looking away again. "I don't understand, you say you want to give us another chance, but you're not willing to break up with your girlfriend?" she challenged.

"Look, Trish … No matter how different she is to you, how ditzy she may appear, she … she needs me." He explained quietly.

Trish stared at him without blinking for a moment. "What could she possibly need you for?" she asked out loud. When Jace didn't reply, Trish shook her head and walked right past him.

"You know what, if you can't give me one straight answer, I don't think I can really be ready to be with you again … so when you can talk to me directly about this whole thing …" she drifted off, opening the door for him, obviously gesturing for him to leave.

"Don't you need help?" he asked quietly. Trish tapped her foot lightly on the floor as she looked at all the things she still had left to do, and all the time she had lost talking to Jace. The whole thing was slowly frustrating her more and more.

"No, I can do it myself." She said flatly.

Jace slowly started walking toward the door, and turned back to her when he was in the doorframe once again.

"Will you at least think about what I said?" he whispered. Trish looked toward the ground.  
"I will if you think about what I said." She replied firmly, pushing the door shut as Jace disappeared down the corridor.

Trish shut the door and leaned against it for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts before she drove straight back into her work.

* * *

"That jerk." Carrie remarked after Trish told her story, icing a cupcake with a piping bag as she and Trish were finally getting the snacks ready.

Trish nodded slowly. She really didn't want what her happened that afternoon with Jace to weigh down how she executed Ally's Kitchen Tea. This was the first of many events before the actual wedding itself, and she herself wanted it to be perfect.

"Yeah, but thanks for listening, Carrie. Now I've got it off my chest so I think I'm going to be in the right mindset for Ally's Tea." Trish explained, taking a couple of delicate vintage tea cups filled with tiny cupcakes toward the dining area.

"No problem – Ally's Tea. Focus." Carrie replied shortly in a comical manner, waving her arms vertically forward and backward from her.

"So what do you think Candy needs him for?" she asked musingly after a silence. Trish looked up with a displeased look on her face.

"Macaron towers." Trish replied, looking back at her. Carrie suddenly remembered and turned back to retrieve the beautiful stands filled with dark red, yellow and white macarons on each level.

"These are such a cute idea, Trish." Carrie commented, looking at the small towers. Trish looked up and smiled lightly.

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe the amount of Pins Ally sent me on Pinterest with all these adorable Bridal Shower ideas." Trish said, shaking her head with a knowing smile.

At that moment, the doorbell rang.

"Carrie, would you get that? It should be the girls." Trish said, obviously busy delicately placing the macaron towers and tea cups at each table. Carrie swirled around and skipped over to the door.

Sure enough, Georgia and Zoe were standing on the other side of the door, each with a bunch of containers in her hand, Georgia holding a large chalkboard with the words "Let's Have Tea, with the Bride to Be", written in a beautiful typography style.

"Georgia that's stunning!" Carrie commented as they walked in. Georgia giggled.  
"Thanks, I want everything to look -" but before she could finish, the rest of the bridesmaids joined her in unison.

"Perfect." They finished with her as they all let out scattered laughter.

"Wow, Trish the place looks great!" Zoe observed enthusiastically, looking directly at the dining area.

Trish smiled. No matter how much she couldn't shake how Zoe got on her nerves, she did obviously mean well.

"Thanks," she replied. "Did you bring a good playlist?" she asked. Zoe nodded, placing the containers filled with tiny scones on the kitchen bench.

"Yup, I'll plug it in when the guests arrive. Can I put the jam and cream in your fridge?" Zoe asked, already heading for the fridge.

"Yeah, of course!" Trish permitted almost annoyed. "Girls, this apartment if yours for the next few hours - go nuts!" she cried as the busy bridesmaids buzzed off to work on the afternoon snack food and the decorations.

"Isn't Kira supposed to bring the balloons? Where is she?" Georgia remembered, looking over at the clock and realising the guests would be arriving soon.

"Yeah, she should be …" Carrie agreed.

"I don't know about Kira … I mean, Ally was friends with her so long ago and to make her a bridesmaid after only a brief rekindle of their friendship…?" Zoe remarked out loud.

Trish thought about that for a moment, remembering how jealous she had gotten of Kira all those years ago, fearing she had taken Trish's place as Ally's best friend.

"I wouldn't say that … she has a lot in common with Ally, and she would do anything to ensure her success." Trish pointed out in Kira's defence.

"But she's in and out all the time and …" Zoe went on, but Kira suddenly walked into Trish's apartment, since the door was still open, carrying two hands full of balloons.

The apartment was suddenly silent, until Georgia decided to mask the awkwardness.

"Hey Kira! Cool you brought the balloons – we're just decorating now." She practically babbled. Kira looked somehow uncomfortable with the way Zoe seemed to flush red when she saw her.

"Hey … Sorry I'm late but I'm here now. Let's make this a great Kitchen Tea, huh?" she said shakily, placing a weight of the balloons near the snack table.

Well, it would definitely be an interesting Kitchen Tea, Trish thought.

* * *

**It's probably not what you expected, cause it's definitely not what I was expecting either! But turns of events somehow just come out for me sometimes when I'm writing, even when I don't plan them. **

**The next chapter will be completely centred around the Kitchen Tea and the happenings, and it will include a bit of drama so hope you look forward to that too! Hope you liked this chapter, don't forget to review if you enjoyed it! :) **


	27. Chapter 27: Tea With the Bride to Be

**Since this is the continuation of the last chapter I'm uploading it sooner rather than later. To everyone who reviews my chapters, thank you. To everyone who only ghost reads the chapters without any input, thank you! It just means a lot that people are reading my story, I've grown so attached to this story ... it is the longest story I've ever written and I am so looking forward to finishing it. **

**Anyway, without making this too long (and I'm sorry for how long my chapters have been these days) please enjoy this new addition - for those of you that enjoy a bit of drama, this one's for you! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin &amp; Ally or any of its original characters. **

* * *

Ally was giving her safety lecture to Austin just as Austin was about to leave – his eyes were glaring into blank space as she spoke, and soon, when he realised he had to leave, he got up and covered his fiancé's mouth with the palm of his hand and taking it away again when he was sure she wouldn't speak.

"Ally, please don't worry about me. Enjoy your bridal shower, okay? I want you to have a good time." He told her, taking his bag filled with some extra clothes just in case it got too late, and of course now, some emergency essentials packed by Ally.

"Okay, but please be careful." Ally said worriedly.

Austin smiled. "I promise. Love you." Austin farewelled, kissing the top of her head.  
"Love you." Ally returned, watching him go through the front door.

* * *

And when Austin left, Ally proceeded with her makeup and hair. She decided to curl her hair for the occasion, pinning her bangs away from her face and placing a few red floral hair pieces on either side. When she was done with her makeup, she took out her dress for the occasion.

She had picked out a classic of her own style, an off white bodycon dress with deep red lace detail draping the neckline and the bottom of the dress. It reached down just above her knees, and she had picked out a pair of her favourite deep red suede heels, but decided on a nude coloured lipstick to finish the look.

At that moment, Ally heard a buzz come from the front room and she rushed to let her mom in. Soon, Penny arrived at her door dressed in a grass green chiffon dress which came right down to her knees, with small cap sleeves.

"Ally, honey!" she greeted affectionately, taking her daughter in for a full embrace. Ally responded back wholesomely, hugging her mother tight.  
"Mom, it's so good to finally see you. You look amazing!" she commented, as Penny tilted back to showcase her dress.

"Nothing but the best for my daughter… who by the way, is looking absolutely stunning." She complimented back, as Ally only narrowed her eyes to the ceiling, slightly embarrassed.

"Oh mom, stop it." She rubbed her off.

"But, no jewellery, I see." She observed, searching for a necklace or a pair of earrings or even a bracelet.

Ally held up her left hand. "Doesn't this count?" she pointed out sheepishly, as Penny just gave her a warning look. Ally looked from the ring to her mom and brought her hand down.

"Okay, you're right. Maybe I should put something else on." She said, turning on her heel to head back to her bedroom until Penny stopped her.

"Actually, I was hoping you would consider this," Penny drifted off, pulling out a small velvet box from her purse and placing it on the kitchen counter.

Ally walked back into the kitchen and looked at the box back to her mom in her awe.

"Mom, what is this?" she asked, holding the box in mid-air and beginning to open it very carefully. As she opened it, Penny began to explain.

"Well, they're mine, actually they were your grandmother's. She gave them to me when I married your father, and now I thought I'd give them to you." She explained.

Ally opened the box to reveal a pair of beautiful vintage marcasite earrings with a ruby stone in the centre, a small dangle style. Ally couldn't believe how well it matched not only her dress, but her taste.

"Mom, these are absolutely beautiful," she breathed, looking up at her. "Thank you," she said wholesomely as Penny smiled.

"Looks like red just runs in the family, huh?" Ally laughed, referring to their apparent identical taste.  
Penny just laughed with her.

"Well, are we ready to go?" Penny asked as Ally slipped the earrings in either ear.

"Yeah, I'll just get my coat," Ally said, heading for the bedroom again, still putting the push in one earring.

"Do you have to bring anything?" Penny called after her. Ally came back with a deep red coat and her bag.

"Nope, I was told not to bring a thing so I'm holding them to that." Ally replied. And with that they headed out of the apartment and onto to Trish's.

* * *

"Hurry up! Ally will be here any minute and I do not want anything unfinished when she gets here!" Trish cried as Georgia and Carrie were just about finishing up with the last few decorations.

"Trish, would you stop stressing, everything is going to be fine." Kira said breezily, placing some extra tea bags in each wooden box.

The guests had already arrived – including Ally's Aunt Wendy and Ally's two cousins Ebony and Hannah. Ally hadn't seen them in years and Trish hoped Ally would appreciate seeing them. Mrs Moon and her sister had already arrived, along with Sarah, Austin's cousin Ayden's wife and her newborn baby.

Some of Ally's new friends from New York, including a few girls from her book club and charity committees were here for her Kitchen Tea as well, and of course some of Ally's management team and bandmates had come as well.

The doorbell rang, and since all of the guests had arrived, Trish assumed it was finally Ally and her mom.

"Okay, this is it. Everybody be cheery!" Trish bellowed toward the guests. Some alternative folk music was playing over the sound system, so the atmosphere was already a little lively along with the mingling guests.

Trish opened the door and as Ally and Penny walked in, all of the ladies yelled "Happy Bridal Shower!" quite melodically and Ally beamed as she looked around the room, seeing her closest friends and family all in the same room.

"Oh my god," Ally breathed between her happy laughs, pulling Trish in for a hug.  
"Ugh, thank you so much Trish. The place looks absolutely perfect!" Ally said genuinely, seeing the look of happiness yet also relief when she said 'perfect.'

Ally squeezed Trish's hand one more time before she went over to hug her bridesmaids and greet her other guests as well. Penny also hugged Trish and left to mingle with the guests, just as Trish closed the door.

After eating a few snack foods consisting of scones and cakes and tiny finger sandwiches, Trish got up to retrieve the first game she had in mind for the afternoon.

"Okay, ladies, we've put together a few games for us to play with the bride to be, Ally," Trish gestured to Ally as she beamed in her chair.

"And our first game will be hosted by myself, but there's still a few more games we'll play, which will include some guest participation." Trish said, gesturing toward the guests. "Ally, will you come up here please so you are the centre of attention?" Trish prompted, pulling out a chair for Ally to sit on as she walked toward her.

Carrie had dressed Ally in a cream coloured sash around her with the words "Bride to Be" written in cursive writing. She was also made to wear a flower crown on her head with red, white and yellow rose petals on it, with a few green leaves on it as well.

"Okay, Ally. We've asked a bunch of questions to Austin, and we're about to play a game called 'How well do you know the Groom'? Are you ready?" Trish asked, taking out her cards.

Ally looked practically giddy. "Oh please, I'll get all of them right, just you see." She said confidently, which was followed by scattered laughter around the room.

"Okay, what is Austin's favourite type of cake?" Trish asked.  
Ally squinted. "White chocolate." She replied.

"Well done, white chocolate it is!" Trish said as the others clapped.

"What is Austin's favourite comic book?" Trish asked.  
Ally thought for a moment. "Wow that's hard … Has it got something to do with zombies?" Ally asked back. Trish widened her eyes at Ally.

"I'm not giving you any hints! Come on, think back to our junior year." Trish said.

"You just gave her a clue!" Sarah warned as Trish bit her lip.  
"Dang it!" she hissed as the guests laughed again.

"Wait … was it The Galactic Adventures of the Avengers or something?" Ally breathed carefully. Trish laughed.  
"Yeah, the _Electric _Avengers – well done!" she said, as she brought out the next card.

"If Austin were home by himself, what would he make himself for dinner?" Trish asked.  
"Probably Mac and Cheese." Ally answered naturally.

"Unbelievable, correct! Okay, what's his favourite hair styling product?" Trish asked.  
"A light styling gel." Ally responded with a smirk, slightly rolling her eyes. Trish laughed.

"What was Austin's favourite toy as a kid?" Trish asked.  
"Sergeant Bearington, his teddy bear," Ally chuckled. "But if he answered your question he probably said an Avenger action figure." Ally answered.

Trish looked at her card. "He put Electric Avenger Action Figure here … but since he didn't care enough to name the action figure, I'm gonna go with your answer!" she agreed, causing Ally to break into a huge satisfied grin.

"Okay, where was your first kiss with Austin?" Trish asked.  
Ally smiled. "It was after we performed at the Jungle Café for my mom's book signing," she replied, smiling over to her mother. "I got over my stage fright and that was my - and our, first kiss." She went on, smiling at the memory. Ally heard a few 'awe's coming from her guests, but she turned to the sound of Kira's voice.

"That was when I agreed to be Austin's girlfriend … wasn't it?" Kira asked. Trish widened her eyes in horror at Kira. She had spoken very abruptly, but fairly quietly. Ally didn't know what to say.

When no one said anything, Georgia spoke up.

"You and Austin went out?" Georgia asked softly.

Ally's heart sped up very quickly. She was not enjoying this conversation at all, especially since it was taking place at her bridal shower.

Kira looked over at Georgia, and to Ally's dismay, she didn't even appear to look guilty.

"Yeah, they realised they liked each other when I was going out with him." Kira explained as-a-matter-of-factly.

Ally cringed and looked up to Trish for refuge. "Um okay, next question!" Trish breathed, trying to brush past the moment. Suddenly, the image of Kira and Austin, despite the fact that it happened almost ten years ago, was bothering Ally. How could Kira bring that up at her Bridal Shower?

"Who is Austin's oldest friend and where did he meet them?" Trish asked, her voice slightly shaky.  
"Dez, and they met in kindergarten." She replied slightly absently.

"What is Austin's favourite song you and him wrote together?" Trish asked.  
Ally thought for a moment. "Who U R?" she asked doubtfully.

Trish shook her head. "Actually, it's Timeless." She corrected her, as Ally gawked at her.  
"Are you kidding!? A _music-related_ question loses me a point!" she blurted out, obviously disappointed in herself. Trish only gave a wicked grin, moving on to the next question.

"When did Austin first say 'I love you'?" Trish asked.  
Ally smiled at the memory. "It was at the WMA's. He admitted he loved me in front of everybody." She replied.

"Correct! And, what is your most annoying habit in Austin's opinion?" Trish asked, raising her eyebrow.  
Ally sighed. "Is it my need for everything to be perfect?" Ally answered in a question.

Trish shook her head. "It's when you chew your hair." Trish corrected her. Ally pointed a finger at Trish in her defence.

"I haven't done that for years!" Ally defended herself.  
Trish only laughed. "He knew you would say that and said that he caught you a couple of months ago during all this wedding prep." Trish giggled.

Ally crossed her arms.

"Well that sums up the questions for my game – 8 out 10, not bad Ally." Trish giggled again, slightly giddy Ally didn't get them all correct.

Ally only glared at her best friend.

"Okay it's my turn!" Georgia cried as she got up from her seat.

Trish leaned down to retrieve Georgia's game cards, and handed one to Georgia and began passing them out to all the guests.

"So, I've decided to host a little game called 'How Well Do You Know the Bride and Groom'? And the person(s) with the most points, wins the first of only a few special alcoholic beverages of the afternoon. And ladies may I remind you, there is no open bar tonight." Georgia warned, seeing the smirks upon all the women's faces.

"Okay, the first question is, where did Austin and Ally meet?" she said out loud, as all the women began writing down their answers.

"Who doesn't know this story?" Zoe said out loud as Kira looked over at her.  
"I don't…" Kira admitted, causing Zoe to glare at her.

"It was at Sonic Boom, of course!" Zoe hissed, just as one of Ally's bandmates responded from the other end of the room.

"Thank you!" she cried, making everyone laugh and Zoe turn bright red.

"Sonic Boom is the correct answer. Now, for how long have Austin and Ally dated?" Georgia asked aloud, as the women scribbled down their answers.

* * *

The afternoon slowly melted away, and soon, the guests began to leave.

Sarah made her way over to Ally when the party became a little quieter, holding her newborn baby in her arms.

"Sarah! Congratulations!" Ally said, hugging Sarah on the side as Sarah just gave her a smile.  
"Thank you," she replied, rocking her daughter up and down.

"What did you name her?" Ally asked, peering over the blanket to see her would-be niece.  
"Isabella," Sarah replied. "She's very fussy though. I feel like she's going to be quite a sassy little teenager when she grows up." She chuckled, looking at Isabella.

"I want one …" Ally breathed, looking at Isabella as well.  
Sarah looked at her. "Yeah, how many does Austin want?" she asked interested.

Ally rolled her eyes. "He said he wants five, but I don't know about that. We decided on three together, hopefully. I can't wait though." Ally beamed.

"That's nice. But make sure you leave enough space between settling together as a married couple before you decide on having children though," Sarah advised. From her tone, Ally thought she seemed to be speaking from experience.

"You think you rushed into it?" Ally asked quietly.  
Sarah sighed. "I don't regret having Isabella when I did, I just think that we didn't leave enough time to settle into our home and our working lives before we had her … When you have kids, your life completely changes – it's totally different to being just a married couple." Sarah explained.

Ally thought about that. Of course, her situation with Austin was different. Thankfully, they were financially stable and already so invested in one another that children shouldn't be an issue after marriage. She somewhat felt sorry for Sarah then.

* * *

"What was up with Kira during that game though?" Zoe asked Ally as they moved the chairs away from the tables and back into Trish's spare room.

Ally seemed perplexed with this question.

"I really don't know, and I don't know how to ask either …" Ally drifted off.  
"I'll do it," Zoe offered causing Ally to widen her eyes at her. "If it's bothering you, we should get it out in the open." She said firmly, turning on her heel and heading back to the kitchen.

All of the guests had left by this point, and Ally's mother had left with her Aunt Wendy already – leaving just the bridesmaids in the apartment.

Ally frantically followed after Zoe, trying to stop her but she was already too late.

"Kira, you went out with Austin?" Zoe asked. Ally dejectedly hung back near a wall, trying to catch a glimpse of Kira's expression.

Kira lightly smiled. "Yeah, but that was a long time ago. It was before Austin and Ally even knew they had feelings for each other." Kira explained.

"And they kissed for the first time when you were still going out?" Zoe pressed. Ally wanted to nail herself into the wall.

"Well, sorta, but I mean – it's my fault really. I suspected they liked each other but I liked his words – I was blinded by the way he spoke." Kira replied.

There was an awkward silence in the room.

"You're still sore about it, aren't you?" Zoe pressed again, as Kira let out a shaky laugh.  
"What, no of course not." She stammered, looking nervously around the room.

Ally thought this was the time she should try and speak up.

"Kira, it's okay … I didn't like what Austin did to us either." Ally said, nearing her slightly.

Kira then let out a wicked laugh. "Then why was I the one who got hurt and dumped in the end?" she asked bitterly. Ally's heart rate sped up.

"Well … uh …" she drifted off, unsure how to explain. Carrie then chimed in at this point.

"He did the same thing to my sister. He dumped her because he realised he liked Ally more." Carrie put in. Ally's face was turning extremely red by this point.

Kira laughed again. "You see? Austin couldn't resist breaking another girl's heart in order to get yours!" she said.

Now there were tears rolling down Ally's face. Trish suddenly became very upset with the whole situation and stepped in for Ally's defence.

"Guys, that was like a million years ago – how could you possibly be sore about something that has happened, been done and dusted, and Austin apologized wholeheartedly to both of you for it? What kind of friends are you?" Trish demanded, looking back and forth between Kira and Carrie.

Carrie looked down and immediately felt bad.

Ally wiped away her tears with the back of her hands, but looked up to the both of them.

"You know what? If you guys are so upset about things that happened so long ago, then why did you agree to be my bridesmaids? If you're just acting like you're okay being a bridesmaid at my wedding, then just leave. I'm only keeping the girls that really care about me and my relationship with Austin. If you really want, you can just leave." Ally spat, folding her arms over her chest and sniffling a little.

There was a silence in the room again.

Carrie was the first to speak.

"Ally, I'm so sorry – you know you and Austin are some of my closest friends … I don't know what came over me … Kira was saying all these things and I just suddenly remembered my sister. I really am totally over it and I understand what happened, especially with how Austin felt … please don't be upset … I – I'm so sorry." She mumbled, almost in tears.

Ally sniffled again. "It's okay … I get it. You were hurt." Ally said softly, before turning to Kira who seemed to look fairly sombre.

"Kira, before we go any further with my wedding – I think you need to really think about whether you can be my bridesmaid or not. I don't want any one of you to be doing this without really feeling like you want to be a part of it." Ally explained, now speaking to everyone.

Kira didn't say anything.

"Look, I'll see you guys later." She muttered, picking up her bag and heading for the door.

When she left, Ally fell onto a chair and buried her face in her hands. Georgia came up next to her and placed her hand on her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Ally … but to be honest, before she came today, the rest of us were trying to figure out if she's really taking this seriously or not. It might be a good idea if she wasn't a bridesmaid at all." Georgia said quietly.

Ally nodded. "I think I was blinded by how much we used to get along … I didn't realise she could be upset about that still." Ally explained.

"Well, hopefully we can figure out something." Trish consoled Ally.

"I'm sorry, Ally. I feel like this is all my fault … If I hadn't said anything, she wouldn't have said all those things and …" Zoe began.  
"No, I'm glad you did. I'd rather know now than find out if she got drunk and blurted it all out at our wedding." Ally said with a soft smile as the others joined her.

Ally sighed heavily. "Well, despite everything, it was a perfect Kitchen Tea, girls. You're all so wonderful, and I'm so glad to have you in my life and for my wedding." Ally said sappily, pulling Trish in for a hug once more.

"Oh, please it was nothing." Trish shrugged off, as they laughed together.

"And may I just say, that I am one hundred percent happy and devoted to being your bridesmaid? I'm so happy you asked me and how much I could help out." Georgia said.

Ally smiled at her. "Thanks George," she said, furrowing her brow.

"That goes for me too!" Carrie chirped happily, making Ally smile again.  
"Me too!" Zoe chimed in.  
"Me too!" Trish said, as they all went in for a group hug.

"I love you guys!" Ally said thankfully, knocking her head against Georgia's head as they all hugged.

At that moment, Zoe's phone started buzzing, and she left the group hug to answer it. It was Chase.

"Chase? What's up, babe?" Zoe asked into the phone.  
"Oh my god, what happened?" she asked softly. Not softly enough unfortunately, it was loud enough for all of the girls to hear as well.

There was a silence then.

Zoe brought the phone to her collarbone and looked over at Ally.

"There was an accident." She said quietly as Ally just stared at her in shock.

* * *

**So sorry for that dramatic cliffhanger lol. But what do you think about the Kira drama? Think she should be a bridesmaid, or not? I'm sorry if anyone was liking her in this story - but I've been going through some friendship dramas myself recently and I guess I just reflected it in my writing. Let me know what you think and whether Kira should back out. :S**

**Reviews, follows and favourites make me super duper happy! xx**


	28. Chapter 28: Trouble in Paradise

**It's been kinda a month since I last posted? Sorry. I've been super busy with final assessments and stuff. So firstly, I've changed the cover of this story and I hope you guys like it! It suits the flower and colour scheme I picture for their wedding! Also, it looks like my story has been added into a community!? I'm not really sure what that means but it makes me happy! xD so thank you Minecraftausllygirl for that. I so appreciate it. **

**Well, I won't leave on that cliff-hanger anymore. This chapter is kinda sad and fluffy at the same time but I hope you enjoy it. **

**Today's song of the chapter: Every Breath You Take by The Police. (80s of course)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin and Ally or any of its original characters. **

* * *

The room fell silent for a moment. The silence felt unbelievably loud as Ally searched Zoe's face, trying hard to comprehend what Zoe had said – what she meant. Zoe only continued to intently listen to Chase explain.

Zoe said nothing – she only listened, and apparently all of the girls chose to do the same. Listening to the loud silence.

"Okay, are you sure you're all right?" Zoe asked through a breath. Ally's heart began to thump incredibly loudly.

"Can you put Austin on?" she asked again, and Ally immediately stepped forward.

Zoe took the phone away from her ear and handed it to Ally. Ally took it and held it to her ear.

"Austin?" Ally said. She heard a large exhale come from the other end.

"Ally?" he replied back, somehow allowing Ally to restart her heart once again.  
"Thank goodness. Can you please tell me what happened?" Ally asked softly, moving away from her friends.

Ally heard a loud exhale coming from the other end.

"Well, somebody let Dez drive for the last hour … and well, he kinda drove us off of a tiny, sort of small … cliff." Austin practically choked out his words, probably to avoid feeling so guilty in front of Ally.

"A cliff! Austin I _knew_ this was a bad idea!" Ally scolded her fiancé.  
Austin sighed. "I know you're gonna be really mad, babe … but we're all fine. Thankfully, when Chase took the wheel he was able to slowly but effectively get us out of this ditch." He explained mediocrely.

"I don't think I can even picture it." Ally admitted.  
"It probably sounds worse than it really was. But I promise we're all fine. Nobody is hurt or injured, just a little shocked I guess." He assured her.

"Are you sure? I can come and get you right now." Ally stated rather than offered.

To her dismay, there was an offbeat chuckle coming from the other end. "No, no, Alls. We're gonna drive home tomorrow afternoon. Please don't worry about us, okay?"

Ally was silent for a moment before she answered. "Okay, but you're coming straight home, all right?" she warned. Austin sighed.

"Yes, I'm coming home." He repeated.  
Ally blinked. "Okay, be careful."

"I will. I love you." - Austin  
"Love you too. And Austin, will you promise me something?" - Ally  
"Anything." – Austin

"Don't ever let Dez take the wheel again." Ally said seriously, shaking her head.  
Austin chuckled. "I promise. Bye."

And with that Ally pressed end to the conversation and handed the phone back to Zoe.

"So, everything's okay then?" Carrie asked. Ally sighed and nodded.  
"Yeah, I guess. Ugh I just knew that car ride was a bad idea!" Ally said out loud.

"Actually, I think letting _Dez_ drive in that car ride was a bad idea." Trish corrected as the others laughed.

"Hey!" Carrie warned as they all looked back at her knowingly.  
Suddenly Carrie frowned. "Yeah, you're right. Poor Dezzie."

And with that the girls laughed and hugged Carrie.

* * *

"_And with you, I see, that suddenly …" _Ally paused hitting the keys and yanked her pen from the top of the piano to make a few notes. When she finished, she commenced working on the melody once again, so engrossed she missed hearing the apartment door open.

"_This world could be, our dynasty …_" Just as Ally drifted off into thought of what the next line could be, she was interrupted by a slow kiss on her jaw.

Ally smiled and turned to get up and kiss Austin full on the mouth. Austin responded back passionately, until Ally slid her hands down his chest and held him by the arms.

Suddenly, she punched him hard on the shoulder. "I knew you should never have gone on that stupid car ride!" Ally scolded him.

Austin mouthed 'ow' in pain and suddenly remembered her freakish strength and her painful arm punching.

"Ow, Ally! I told you, you punch harder than you realise!" Austin whined in pain.

Ally gritted her teeth. "Yeah? Well that's cause I'm angry at you!" she explained.

Austin furrowed his brow and looked at her. "Why? Nothing happened. I'm fine, everybody's fine." He reminded her.

Ally only folded her arms in anger. "Yeah, cause you were lucky. What if something really awful had happened to you? What if that cliff was larger than it what it was?" she challenged.

"But it … _wasn't_. Ally, I'm fine." He repeated, holding her by the shoulders. Ally squirmed out of his grip and made her way across the room.

"What? So now you're gonna be angry at me?" Austin charged. Ally looked at him.

"Yes! It was a stupid idea and I can't believe how irresponsible you can be sometimes, Austin." Ally told him.

"Irresponsible? I'm totally responsible!" Austin defended himself.

Ally shook her head. "You know, sometimes you really act just like a child." She spat.

Usually, this never phased Austin … but he was feeling genuinely hurt.

"Yeah? Well, would a child storm out of this apartment right now?" He threatened, making his way to the door and making Ally's heart pound fast.

"Yes! That is exactly what a child would do!" Ally fired back.  
Austin only glared at her just before he opened the door. "Good!" he finished, slamming the door behind him.

Ally let out deep, slow breaths as she tried to contemplate what had just happened. Austin had walked out. Maybe she'd overreacted … but her anger had somehow gotten the better of her. Sometimes, Ally's affection and care became her source of anger. She cared so much about Austin, that yelling at him was the only way she could express it.

But now, she felt empty. She looked back to her empty apartment, and suddenly regretted ever saying anything at all. What would she do without Austin?

Ally walked slowly around the apartment, trying to think straight. How could she have let this happen?

Austin …

Without him, Ally was closed … insecure … weak … even brittle.

All of Ally's strength felt as if it were floating around her, lifting up and swirling around her head. She felt so weak that she fell to the floor of the living room carpet, leaning her head against the couch.

It took her a few moments to feel the tears streaming down her face, everything in the world had stopped. Ally looked up to see the orange sunset peering over the Manhattan skyline through her window. The sea seemed so calm and clear in the distance, waiting for the sun to sink into its depths.

And when she could no longer see the brightness of this orange sphere, Ally closed her eyes … no strength left within her.

* * *

Ally had fallen into such a deep pit of sleep, it took her a few moments to realise that something was shaking her. She opened her eyes to now see a brightly lit cityscape; everything seemed so alive despite the pitch blackness of the night sky.

When she felt a grip on her shoulder once more, Ally turned and saw the most beautiful face she had ever seen. It was an angel. And it was _her _angel.

Ally only scrunched her eyes, and collapsed into his arms. She felt Austin's strong arms envelope around her, and she wormed her way right into his lap. This was it. This was her safe place.

"I'm so sorry," she felt him whisper into her eyes as he kissed her brow.

Ally shook her head. "No." was all that came out.

"I just … I don't know how to live without you, Ally. I don't want to. I can't. I need you, every moment, all the time." He said.

Ally let out a whimper of pain.

"You're all of my strength, Austin … When you left – I felt so weak." She stammered in a hushed tone.

"I'm never doing that to you again … Never …" He said. Ally felt a shy tear dropping on her nose. She opened her eyes and saw Austin's eyes … red, tired and wet.

She lifted herself away from him and quickly took him in her embrace. Austin sunk his nose into her shoulder and kissed it over and over. Ally kissed his ear, his neck, any piece of his skin she could find with her lips.

She came to his lips and he took her with sincere passion. It was need. Ally breathed carefully when he let go of her lips, but not of her. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up with him, allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist. She kissed his forehead slowly, and dragged her lips down his nose and back over his mouth.

"Ally?" Austin called in between kisses when she was lying on top of their bed and he was towering over her.

"I'll never do anything you don't want me to ever again …" he promised her.

"No, Austin. It's not that. I just don't know what I would do if something ever happened to you. I was just … scared. That's all." She explained.

"Well, I don't know how to live without you, and I don't ever intend to find out." He replied.  
Ally kissed his throat quickly. "That goes for both of us." She said, before Austin dived into her lips once again.

* * *

**So this chapter is a bit shorter but I hope you enjoyed it. Kinda touched on the drama side of the story, which will develop more and more over the next few chapters. Stay tuned lovelies! Don't forget to leave a review, and a follow and a favourite if you liked the story. :)**


	29. Chapter 29: The Pact

**It is not okay that I left you all hanging like that. Please forgive me, I've been kinda sick recently and I started classes again so it's been a while since I've even written anything for this story. Anywho, as always since I am a terrible updater, I'll post up another chapter for you shortly which will be on the longer side, since this one is so brief. So enjoy! xx**

* * *

Ally woke up the next morning, sheets all over her body and her hair in a complete mess. She looked out their large window to see the sun shining through brilliantly over the Manhattan skyline, and flipped over to see Austin, slowly waking up. She rested her head on her pillow, patiently waiting for him to open his eyes. His hair was in an utter mess from the constant tossing and turning, and flipping also, but in Ally's opinion it looked perfect this way.

"Hey sunshine," she greeted at a normal pitch of volume to her fiancé. The volume made him open one eye at her, still buried into his pillow.

"You want some _banana pancakes_?" she teased, rolling toward him. Austin opened his eyes quickly to the sound of pancakes and flipped over on to his back, and Ally quickly landed on top of him, straddling him and leaning down close toward his face.

"What was that?" he asked with a sweet smile.

"_Can't you see that it's just raining? There ain't no need to go outside…_" she sang one of their favourite Jack Johnson songs, teasing him.

Austin opened his eyes fully to her.

"Did you just say _ain't_?" he asked. Ally just tickled him near his abdomen, making Austin giggle.

Austin fought her playfully, intoxicated by her giggles as they tossed side to side in the queen size bed. Ally soon rested just next to him, and Austin cradled her small body with his right arm as she leaned her head on his chest.

"Do you realise that in just one month we're going to be married?" Ally pointed out, thinking of the coming month.

"I can't wait." Austin said out loud, brushing his fingers against Ally's body.

Ally looked up at him and Austin followed her gaze. "Do you think we should make a pact for the rest of this time before our wedding?" Ally asked.

Austin furrowed his brow in confusion. "What kind of a pact?" he asked back. Ally leaned on her elbow and sighed.

"Maybe, we shouldn't have sex in this last month before our wedding …" Ally said shyly, looking down at the sheets. Austin rose up and crossed his arms.

"I'm sorry, _what_?" he demanded, obviously unwilling about the idea.

Ally flinched slightly and brushed some of her hair behind her ear.

"I know, but if you think about it … it would make our honeymoon more special … cause we would've waited for it, you know?" she explained. Austin pressed his eyes into her gaze as she spoke, but then thought for a moment.

"So like, a whole month?" he asked.

Ally nodded slowly. "I mean, I know it's gonna be hard … but I think we should do it."

Austin contemplating her proposal for a moment, but quickly thought it was probably the proper thing to do.

"Okay, I'll do it," Austin agreed as Austin flashed him a big smile, which made Austin wonder for a moment. "Do you remember that time you said you wanted to wait until marriage?"

Ally chuckled. "Yeah, I think that little Ally is the one telling me to do this." she explained.

"Would she allow me to do this?" Austin whispered slyly, approaching Ally's forehead with his lips, kissing her softly.

Ally sighed. "She would_ never_ say no to that."

"Good." Austin whispered, kissing her again.

* * *

_One week later_

"All right, where's our big bad bachelor!?" Daniel bellowed as he came into Austin and Ally's apartment, followed by Chase and Brad.

Austin emerged from the bedroom dressed in black straight jeans and a grey crew neck T-shirt.

"Don't you think you're gonna be cold!?" Ally chirped hastily, running to grab Austin's large black bomber jacket.

Daniel narrowed his eyes to Austin who only smirked at his fiancé's protectiveness.

"Yeah, I'll take it just in case," Austin agreed, taking the jacket from Ally's hand.  
"Errrm, you don't wanna put it on now? It gets so cold in this city." Ally pointed out.

Austin tilted his head to the side at Ally.

"What are you so worried about, huh?" he asked, pulling Ally in under his arm. Ally squirmed a little and pressed her lips together. The sudden movement caused her to place her hand right on Austin's abdomen, only to find how perfectly toned it was.

"You know what, I'm fine. Why don't you all just go before I lose it?" Ally suggested.

Austin didn't let Ally escape so easily. "You know I would never do anything to upset you," he began, before looking at his friends.

"It's just gonna be us, the basketball team, friends from the studio and the tours and we're just gonna go to a couple of bars and have dinner, right?" Austin looked at Dez.

Dez stood there stiffly with a goofy grin stained on his face, and his hands on both his hips.

"I have no idea, I let Daniel decide where we're going." Dez said flatly. Daniel looked around briefly.

Ally and Trish both gasped.

"Dez, you're the best man! You don't need someone else to make the decisions for you!" Trish reminded him with her tone in a high pitch.

Dez shrugged. "Carrie does it all the time."

Ally widened her eyes at Dez, before finally freeing herself from Austin and walking back toward the kitchen.

"Look, I don't want to be one of those uptight wives, so just go, have fun, okay?" Ally let out.

"All right let's get this show on the road amigos!" Daniel cried, heading back for the door.

As they walked out the door, Austin gently kissed Ally on the cheek, and as he did Ally quickly zipped up the jacket he had just put on and flashed him an innocent smile.

Austin shook his head and followed his friends out.

"What do you think Daniel has planned?" Trish asked, opening a bottle of cider over the counter.

Ally raised her eyebrow and inhaled carefully. "I don't even wanna know." Ally admitted, shaking her head. Trish pursed her lips and Ally opened her own bottle of cider, and the two clinked their bottles together before commencing to drink.

* * *

**Anybody else nervous to see what Austin might do at his bachelor party? Or anybody else for that matter? Tune in and see! **

**Please leave a review xx**


	30. Chapter 30: The Bachelor

**Okay, so we will now join Austin and his mates for his bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? I will say however, that some of you may not appreciate how Austin or his friends behave in this chapter, but bare in mind that sometimes grooms and brides to-be kind of get pressured into things and carried away by their friends in these situations. Believe me, I have seen it first hand which is why I'm writing this chapter. **

**Warning: this chapter includes some adult references and drinking scenes. Please be weary. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin and Ally or any of its original characters.**

* * *

"Daniel mentioned you've never really had a hard drink right?" Brad asked Dez, as the five of them sat down at the bar.

Dez shook his head and lifted his hands up in the air. "I've had a few here and there, but never like out to _party_."

"Well, you have got to try the whiskey at this place, you'll love it."  
"At a whiskey bar? Heck yeah I will!" Dez said excitedly, as Brad ordered for him.

Chase sat down next to Austin as the bachelor chugged down a Bourbon whiskey himself. When he finished, Austin flinched and closed his eyes for a moment before attempting to align his vision.

Daniel chugged down another drink and swirled around his high chair, attempting to scan the bar for girls. He came across a group of three girls sitting in a booth, and nudged Brad.

"Hey, check out that talent over there." He whispered, as Brad followed his eyes to the group of girls.

"Yeah, they're cute." Brad agreed, taking a sip of his drink.

"Let's go pick them up." Daniel suggested, getting up from his seat.

Brad scrunched one eyes slightly. "I'm gonna have to be a little bit more drunk before I can do that."

"For Austin," Daniel whispered. Brad only raised an eyebrow.

"Let's get the boy to have some fun, huh?" he went on. Brad agreed to this plan, but drank another glass before he got up with Daniel.

"Evening girls," Daniel greeted as charmingly as possible. Unfortunately no matter how sleazy Daniel was, he always seemed to have a certain charm with the ladies.

The girls instantly seemed taken by Daniel, and one of them, a blonde, even had eyes for Brad. Brad, a shier boy when it came to girls, blushed a little and flashed a crooked smile to the ground.

"Evening," the brunette replied.

"How's your night going?" Daniel asked as he sat down on a chair outside the booth.  
"It's going really well. It's nice to get out on a Saturday, you know?" the brunette continued speaking with him.

"Absolutely, no other way to spend a Saturday," Daniel grinned. "I'm Daniel, by the way." Daniel offered his hand to her as she shook it.

"I'm Jasmine, and this is Meghan and Olivia." Jasmine replied as she gestured to her friends. Daniel nodded his head toward the girls and they continued talking for a few minutes.

"So, I have a friend back at the bar over there," Daniel looked over at the bar as the girls followed his gaze and saw Austin, Chase and Dez drinking and laughing together.

"Which one?" Meghan asked.  
"The blonde." Daniel replied.

"He's cute." Meghan observed, as Olivia tilted her head.  
"He looks familiar. Have we met him before?" Olivia asked her friends. Meghan and Jasmine shook their heads looking at him.

"Well, yes he is a stud. And he is also getting married in less than a month." Daniel said. Jasmine widened her eyes at Daniel. "So I think it would be fun, if one of you were to go up to him, and hit on him a little just to see how he reacts. Any of you game?" he went on.

The girls looked at each other before Meghan quickly agreed.

"Eh, I'll do it. It'll be fun to see what happens." She said, rising up to get out of the booth and Olivia left with her. As she approached Austin, the others slowly got up and approached the bar to watch.

Meghan and Olivia watched him take a sip of his drink, and sat in the left corner of the bar a few stools away from Austin, at this angle they could see him well.

Meghan stared at Austin for a moment, long enough to catch Austin's attention and he looked back at her. Meghan didn't look down when their eyes met, she just watched him for another moment before flashing him a smile. Austin smiled back nervously before fiddling with his glass.

"Oh man it's happening … it's happening …" he muttered to himself. Meghan got up then and sat down in the seat next to his, placing her hands on the countertop.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you properly." She said.  
"Nothing." Austin replied too quickly.

Meghan nodded plainly, almost feeling bad for how guilty he looked when he hadn't even done anything.

"So can I buy you another drink?" she asked.

Austin looked at her confusedly. "Aren't I supposed to be the one buying you a drink?" he challenged.

Meghan smirked.

"I can be very independent woman when I want, and I'm offering you a drink. You want it?" she repeated.

Austin raised his eyebrows and nodded. "You got it. What do you have?" she asked.  
"Scotch and coke?" Austin said.

Meghan nodded and called the bartender to order Austin's drink and her own rum punch.

As they drank, Meghan eyed him closely.

"So how long is it going to take for me to know your name?" she asked.

"I'm Austin," he offered his hand as Meghan took it.

"I'm Meghan … I can't help but think I've seen you somewhere before …" she said, placing her elbows on the counter and resting her chin in her locked hands.

Austin paused slightly, putting his drink down and looking at her. "Like you've seen me or you know me from something?"

Meghan shrugged. "You just look so familiar." She went on, still gazing intensely at him.

"Well, I'm kinda a musician." He gave in.

Suddenly, Olivia smacked the countertop and pointed at Austin.

"Austin Moon!" she cried, turning the head of both Austin and Meghan. Olivia instantly blushed red and took another sip of her drink.

Meghan turned back to Austin and widened her eyes.

"You are _Austin Moon_!" she observed, as Austin just cocked his eyebrow to the left slightly. "Gee if I'd known you were this good looking I'd have paid for VIP passes to one of your concerts."

"You flatter me," Austin said with a chuckle.  
"That was the intention." She said darkly.

Austin eyed her quickly. "So you're kinda a rock star then, huh?" she pressed, nearing closer to him.

Austin only tilted his head to the side.

Meghan swirled circles on his arm, making Austin squirm slightly.

"Can't you give me some of your best rock star moves? Like I'm one of your groupies?" she went on, whispering in his ear now.

Austin looked down and tried to worm himself away from her, but only fell straight into her gaze once again.

"You have gorgeous eyes, rock star. You know that?" she observed.

Austin had finally had enough and got up from his seat entirely, preparing himself to explain.

"Look, you're really nice but I am engaged …" he finally said.

Meghan laughed. "I know, your friend Daniel put me up to this." she pointed over at Daniel.

"_Daniel_!" Austin whined.

Daniel chuckled and approached Austin, slapping his chest.

"Oh come on, liven up a little, stud! We're just having fun." He said. Austin just shook his head.

"Yeah, liven up buddy! Look how much I have!" Dez cried, holding a glass and flopping his hands in the air.

"Dez?" Austin asked in confusion, never seeing him this drunk before.

Dez looked at him, but abruptly looked to the side as he cried, "No!"

"It's D now … for obvious reasons …" he said slyly, looking at a girl who had been listening to their conversation. She smirked but walked away.

"You'll come back!" he cried after her, taking a sip of his drink. "They always come back." Dez eyed Brad who just nodded knowingly at him.

Austin rolled his eyes.

"Okay, fellas. Shall we hit up the next place?" Chase suggested.  
"Let's do it!" Dez agreed, getting up swiftly and excitedly.

*Downtown New York*

The group came to a club where some of Austin's friends came to meet as well. The club was decorated with neon lights and a long bar in the corner, a stage in the front where a few dancers were performing, and a large crowd gathered around the platform. There appeared to be another level where a few people were climbing up to get to.

"Yeah, we have a reservation under Moon," Daniel said to a male club employee, and he nodded before retrieving a file.

"What the hell did you plan, Daniel?" Austin asked.

Daniel just smiled. "Man, this is probably the last time you're gonna go out as a single man. Live a little!" he suggested.

"If I didn't want that to change I wouldn't be getting married," Austin said bluntly.

The man gestured for the group to follow him, and the groomsmen, Austin's friends and himself followed the man to the steel staircase toward the back of the club.

Brad overhead and walked next to Austin. "How long have you been with Ally again?" he asked.

Austin thought. "Since we were 17 – it's been like seven years."

Chase huffed. "Dude, you were just a kid when you got together … have you ever done anything like this before without feeling guilty?" he pressed.

Austin remained silent. Dez looked around for a moment, and turned back to Austin when they both had the same thought.

"No … I haven't." he said quietly.

Daniel cocked his head to the side. "Well, you have a lifetime of guilt left to endure … maybe you should live a little before you tie the knot?" Daniel suggested.

As they spoke, they had climbed the stairs to come to a private rooftop champagne room, where a tray of drinks was waiting for them near the dark red velvet couches.

Daniel picked up a glass and handed it to Austin, who briefly registered what he was saying before he took a sip.

The boys all sat down in the lounge, and Chase leaned over to look at Austin.

"Dude, I know what your mind's going through. You love Ally, and that's cool. I finally found someone like Zoe to steer me away from this kind of lifestyle … But have some fun. Relax." He said gently.

Austin nodded before taking another sip.

"I didn't even have a proper drink until tonight." Dez broke in. The four boys looked over at their friend, to see him gulping down the champagne quickly.

"Easy, dude." Austin attempted, before seeing the dark look in Dez's eye.  
"Let me try something for a change." He told his best friend.

Austin bit his lip and watched Dez order a bottle from the bar. For the next half an hour, Austin easily enjoyed spending time with his friends in the lounge. It was a relaxed setting, all his closest guy friends drinking and having a good time.

"I ordered some pizza from the kitchen as well." Daniel announced.  
"Yeahh pizza!" Austin cried, obviously feeling the alcohol now. "I love pizza."

"I know, buddy. And I also know you love …" Daniel broke off midsentence to be interrupted by Dez.

"Cheerleaders!" Dez yelled, turning the attention of all the men in the rooftop room. Austin looked up to see three dancers dressed in cheerleading outfits emerge from a room in the back, only to be shocked to see they were smiling and heading straight for them.

"Cheerleaders!? You got me cheerleaders!" Austin cried at Daniel. "Why?" he suddenly changed his face into a frown before Daniel looked at the dancers again.

"Well, I know your childhood fantasy was to be in a room full of cheerleaders … So I set this up for you." He explained.

Austin thought back to when he first met Ally and imagined his happy place to be in a room full of cheerleaders. Times had changed since then.

"Yeah, but that was when I was a kid …" Austin said lazily.

"Well, you're gonna live it out now anyway!" Daniel chuckled, gulping down his lager and looking at the dancers.

Austin raised his eyebrows and looked at the dancers as well, as they performed a very erotic cheerleading routine. They danced for an entire song and bowed to their eager audience. Dez even whistled for the girls.

"Now where is our bachelor?" One of the girls squeaked.

"I am not drunk enough for this …" Austin muttered as he gulped down an entire beer bottle as he sunk back in the couch, and suddenly noticed that all eyes were on him.

"Are you hiding?" another girl asked coyly.

"Is it working?" Austin flinched, shaking his head after enduring all the alcohol in his system.  
"Not really, everyone is pointing at you, stud." A girl said.

"Man, why is everyone calling me a stud these days?" Austin thought to himself.

"Cause are you one." A girl said, approaching him. The girl was tall, had short blonde hair curled to the side, and bright blue eyes. Her voice was unbelievably sweet and almost sickly. Austin quickly snatched another beer from the table and gulped it down before the girl took him by the arm and pulled him up.

"Ladies, please. I'm a bit of a shy guy." He begged, leaning back down on the couch.

"Come on, I've been told you're a rock star … where is that inner rock star in you, huh?"  
"He's soon to be a husband." Austin replied flatly.

"You don't want to have a bit of fun before your big day?"

Austin heard an empty beer bottle slam on the table. "I'd like to have a bit of fun, please!" Dez squealed, his grin even goofier than usual if that was even possible.

The girl abruptly looked at Dez. "Uh, may be if we warm ourselves up with one of your friends you won't be so shy, hey?"

Austin just looked at Dez and wondered whether he should say anything.

"Go ahead, be my guest!" Austin shooed her away, almost breathing a sigh of relief when she left his vision.

Before Austin even noticed or could say anything, he looked up to see Dez tied to a chair in front of the couch, smiling away as the girl circled him. In fact, she began to dance and showcase her body erotically, but Dez just bopped along with the music. She even touched him a little too closely, and a little too sexually. Austin didn't really think, he just watched.

It had been too long when Austin realised Dez was actually receiving a lap dance, and his friends were cheering on his deeply committed friend.

But Austin was feeling very tired, perhaps due to the alcohol, and just laid his head back on the couch. He looked up to see the girl half naked sitting on Dez's lap, but Dez only continued to bop to the music and enjoy the show. Well, if he was fine with it, why should Austin ruin his fun?

When the song finished, the girl released Dez and winked at the boys.

"Can I convince you now? You see … I don't bite … Much." She tried to convince Austin.

Daniel turned to Austin who only flinched. "As beautiful as you are, and as fun as that truly looked … no."

"How about a dance, then?" she tried.  
Daniel leaned over to Austin. "At least let her do something, bro. I did set this up for you." He said.

Austin shrugged and got up, causing his friends to applaud.

As Austin approached her, the DJ played another danceable song, and she proved herself no shy girl. Austin barely moved, but the girl held him by the shoulders and hands, dancing with him. Austin kept his distance from her, but heard Daniel whistle from the corner as she grinded up against him. Austin looked away and rubbed his eyes trying to steer away from her, trying to focus on something else. _Anything _else.

When the song finally finished, Austin shook her hand, unsure of his actions but lacking the ability to care.

"You're a gentleman, huh?" she squeaked.  
Austin shrugged. "A girl turned me into one."

The girl nodded. "I met a gentleman once too … She's not gonna let you go." She said. Austin smirked and knew she was right.

"No, and I don't plan on letting her go either." Austin said flatly, moving stiffly away from the girl, making a statement.

"What's your name, beautiful woman?" Dez asked.

The girl turned to him. "My name is Candy," she said. They nodded, until it hit Austin suddenly. He looked at Dez to see if he had understood or thought of the same thing, but Dez only gazed after her as she left.

"Well, it was a pleasure being of service to you, gentlemen. Have a good night!" she farewelled, as she went to the room in the back, initiating applause and a few whistles from Austin's friends.

Austin continued looking at Dez, who slowly seemed to have his light bulb moment. The girl must have been Jace's new girlfriend that was keeping him from being with Trish. Trish had told them the whole story one night after the Kitchen Tea, and the four of them could not understand why Jace could not let Candy go. There were still missing pieces of the puzzle, but it must have added up to something.

"Shots anyone!?" Chase cried as the others agreed. Chase immediately got up and pulled Austin by the arm, dragging him to the small bar in the corner.

"Anything with pure vodka my good man!" Chase called out to the bartender, who nodded and prepared the line of shots.

Austin smiled and took a shot from Chase, and they both held them for a moment.

"Now this is what I can handle! Woo!" the two quickly gulped down the shot, cringed a little but high fived each other.

"Three more, stud!" Chase yelled, as they gulped down three more shots.

When they finished, the boys clapped and cheered, but Austin felt slightly dizzy and needed Brad to support him a little.

"Oh man, I feel …"

"Completely wasted!" Daniel announced, initiating more cheer from their friends.

"Your turn, D!" Daniel chuckled, and so Brad, Daniel and Dez took their share of shots before the whole group was really feeling it.

"Man, aren't you like totally scared about what Carrie will say when she finds out you got a lap dance?" Austin blurted out sleepily.

Dez held a finger to his lips. "Shhh … don't tell anyone," he whispered. He put his arm around Austin and brought him close. "That stays right here in this bar."

"What about Candy? How are we gonna tell the girls?" Austin asked in a slow manner.

"Very carefully …" Dez replied even more slowly.

Austin nodded as if agreeing with his brilliant plan.

Later, the boys decided to go downstairs to where the dancing was, and danced the night away with strangers in this strange part of New York City. Austin had lost the ability to think carefully by this time, and just enjoyed himself. Even if he was not completely sure what had actually happened by the next morning, he would definitely remember having fun all night with his friends.

Well, I'm updating this from my phone, so I can't figure out how to put this in bold haha, but I hope none of you are too confronted with what happened. Bare in mind that it's all a part of the drama that leads up to something bigger. How about Dez, huh? We've totally seen another side of him behind Dr Cupid, and it's "D" haha

so anyway I hope y'all enjoyed reading this chapter, totally different from anything I've written before. Please leave a review xx


	31. Chapter 31: Aftermath

**It's been a while, and I'm sorry again. But hello to all of my new readers! I'm glad you're enjoying this story. Some of you have asked if I'm planning to wrap up this story soon, and the answer is I'm really not sure. A lot of the time I think up little side stories I want to incorporate as I go along, and I don't want to just boom end it, so I will be taking my time with this story. I have a goal that I'd like this story to end by the end of this year, but we'll just have to see I guess. **

**Anyway, this chapter is drama filled so for those of you that like that, enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin and Ally or any of its original characters.**

* * *

Austin woke up the next morning – scratch that – _afternoon_, and found himself strewn across the bed in their apartment. It was 2pm, which seemed about right. Austin's memory was completely hazed due to the incessant amount of alcohol he has consumed the night before, but could easily claim that he had gotten home at at least 4 or 5 am in the morning.

He lifted his head for a moment, but sighed and plopped his head back down into the pillow.

"Morning." he heard Ally call as he barely lifted an eyelid to see her standing by the bedframe and wearing a look of doubt in her eyes.

"It's my bride." Austin mumbled in between the sheets.  
"What?" Ally called, obviously unable to hear him.

"My bride." He repeated, still remaining with his eyes closed.

"Oh yeah? So you didn't propose to any other girls on your big night in town?" Ally openly joked with a nervous laugh.

"Only a few. Two said yes. One said no." Austin joked right back.  
Apparently, Ally did not reciprocate his humour. "What!?" she demanded, slightly shaky but also angry.

"I'm kidding," he breathed, flipping on his back and holding his arms out. "Come here."

Ally neared him but only sat next to him on the edge of the bed. "How mad do I have to be at you?" Ally questioned.

Austin sighed. "Now I know you have some trust issues." He commented.

"Well how am I supposed to know what you got up to last night?" Ally defended herself.

"Ally, _I_ don't even know what I got up to last night." He admitted.  
Ally laughed wickedly. "Ha! That makes me feel so much better."

Austin pursed his lips before responding. "Okay fine, I'll be completely honest with you," Austin began, as Ally nodded.

"Great, I do love honesty." Ally put in. Austin looked down and breathed for a moment.

"There were a couple of dancers, that I can remember properly anyway. Everybody was telling me to do stuff but I didn't. And not because I would feel guilty if I did, but cause I just didn't want to, it just wasn't really my scene and I didn't enjoy that part of it at all. In fact it kinda made me cringe... Do you believe me?" Austin explained, simultaneously grabbing her small waist and kissing her face repeatedly.

Ally tried to squirm out of his grasp but she found it difficult not to enjoy his embrace and giggle between his kisses.

"Well, yeah I do. And thanks for telling me the truth." Ally gushed, looking dreamily into space as he kissed her. Austin smiled along with her until he suddenly remembered a very important detail about the night before.

"I do remember something now!" Austin exclaimed, making Ally jolt up and look at him with a concerned look in her eyes.

"What?" Ally asked. Austin's eyes hadn't reduced in size, and he didn't blink either.  
"Austin!" Ally called for him, trying to bring him back to earth.

Austin narrowed his eyes. "We met a girl named Candy last night," he began.

Ally furrowed her brow and tilted her mouth slightly, unsure of what he meant until it hit her.

"You mean Jace's Candy? The Candy that is keeping Trish and Jace from being together? The Candy that is remaining a mystery to us all as to why she 'needs' Jace?" Ally babbled.

Austin nodded. "Yeah! And I'm pretty sure there can't be another Candy. We'll have to check with Trish on her appearance but yeah!" he went on.

"Well, what was she like? Did you find out anything?" Ally prompted.

"She was one of our entertainers last night …" before he could go on, Ally cut him off.

"So she's like a stripper?" The words didn't roll off Ally's tongue very easily. She wanted to be okay with Austin seeing a stripper but she really wasn't.

"No, well maybe? I don't know. She didn't do that for us but I think she could if we wanted her too. She danced and gave Dez a lap dance and …" Ally cut him off once again.

"Wait, Dez got a lap dance?" she demanded.

Austin looked at her, suddenly remembering his drunken promise to Dez. "Uh … yeah he did." he hesitated. Austin could already tell that Ally was feeling vulnerable about his bachelor party, and he didn't want to make her feel worse by attempting to lie to her.

"I can't believe Dez would do that," Ally gazed into thought. "How could he do something like that? Doesn't he take his relationship with Carrie seriously enough?'

"I think Dez has been feeling a little suffocated lately. To me it kinda looks like he wants to experience a different side of life that he thinks he didn't have … You should have seen how much he was under Daniel's influence last night. He literally did anything Daniel told him to." Austin explained.

Ally thought for a moment. "That's terrible. He can't keep doing stuff like this to Carrie. Carrie is honestly waiting for a proposal and he just keeps kicking her down. I think we should tell her for her own good …"

"No! Ally, _promise _me you won't say anything to Carrie. Dez made me promise not to tell anyone about his behaviour last night and I already told you so no more." Austin begged.

"But she deserves to know." Ally pleaded back.  
"No." Austin replied firmly. "And do you want drama in our bridal party before our actual wedding?" he went on.

Suddenly Ally was convinced. "You're right. My lips are sealed, I promise. Now come on, I think you definitely need some coffee." Ally hit his knee gently, getting up from the bed.

Austin went to follow her but suddenly felt his head throb with the movement.

"Whoa! Could you bring it to me? I can't move." Austin told her.

Ally looked back and threw a cushion from the nearby sofa to him.

"Get up you princess!" she yelled, obviously unsympathetic.

The pillow landed right on Austin's face, so he dragged it down so his hair looked messy and tousled, just the way Austin knew she liked it, and pouted his lips. "Please?"

Ally pursed her lips, and inhaled coarsely. "Fine," she gave in. "You really are a princess." She murmured under her breath.

"What!?" Austin called after her.  
"Nothing, honey!"

* * *

"Trish, I think Candy is a stripper." Ally broke in as she chopped some salad ingredients in Trish's kitchen. The entire group were having a barbecue dinner a couple of nights later at Trish's apartment. Zoe, Georgia and Carrie had gone out to pick up a few things for the barbecue, and the boys were outside on the balcony grilling meats.

Trish looked up at Ally.

"Jace's Candy? What makes you say that?" Trish asked.

"At Austin's bachelor party, they went to a bar and saw a couple of dancers, and one of them was named Candy and Austin thought it would probably be her." Ally went on.

"Was she average height with reddish blonde hair? And green eyes?" Trish pressed, feeling the rage seep through her veins once again over this girl.

"I don't know all the details, but we can ask Austin later." Ally offered.

Trish looked away, shaking her head. "I knew something was wrong about that girl. She must be holding on to him because she thinks he's 'the one' and she probably won't ever meet a genuine guy like Jace doing what she does." Trish babbled, slightly talking to herself. "Man, if he wants a stripper as a girlfriend, then I don't want anything to do with him."

Ally nodded.

"Or maybe I do. I don't know. Ally, I don't want Jace to settle for someone like her when he could do so much better." Trish confided.

Ally tilted her head to the side at her best friend. "I understand you have feelings for Jace …" but she was cut short.  
"What? I don't have feelings for Jace! Pssh!" Trish interrupted.

Ally cocked her head to the side in disbelief.

"Okay, maybe I do. Is that bad?" Trish asked.

"Trish, you can't help you have feelings for. And it's normal that you care about what happens to Jace. He was one of your first long term boyfriends and he meant something to you." Ally defended her.

"Yeah, I just wish he could realise that I'm the only one perfect for him." Trish went on.  
"And he will. Maybe you just need to talk to him … But first we have to talk to Dez and Austin." Ally reminded her.

Trish laughed after a moment.

"What?" Ally asked.  
"I just can't imagine Dez seeing a dancer or a stripper or _anything _for that matter." She said in between laughs.

Ally nervously laughed. "Yeah, goofy old Dez. He's so simple." She said shakily.

Trish looked up at her, noticing her shaky laugh. "Are you okay?" Trish prompted.

Ally only nervously laughed again. "Yeah, of course! I mean – why wouldn't I be okay? Ha ha!" she babbled a little too much.

Trish looked at her confusedly but brought down some dishes from her cabinet.

Suddenly, Ally couldn't take it any longer.

"Dez got a lap dance!" Ally practically yelled in the kitchen.

Trish was so taken aback by this new information that a few non-glass plates slipped from her hands. The noise was so loud that the boys, who were grilling on the barbecue on the balcony, turned to the sound of it. Trish looked up at them and motioned easily to the boys with a goofy grin on her face, just as the boys went back to grilling.

"Okay, what the hell are you talking about?" Trish demanded, resting the palm of her hand on the kitchen bench.

"Austin made me promise not to tell anybody, but I couldn't keep it in any longer!" Ally confessed.

"Whatever, promises-schmosises. You _need_ to elaborate." Trish said, obviously growing impatient.

"Candy … she gave Dez a lap dance. And who knows what else … I mean, that's all Austin can remember but I'm sure more stuff happened." Ally explained.

"Oh my god, that's wild. I mean, you think you know someone well enough – I mean, even Dez who's so freaking weird … but I honestly didn't think he would ever hurt Carrie like that." Trish said.

"Austin said he might be feeling a little suffocated right now, like he hasn't experienced the night life or something." Ally put in.

"Actually, he also saw a stripper and got another lap dance after." Brad's voice emerged from the guest bedroom, as he approached the kitchen to face the two girls.

"What!?" they both said in unison.

Brad nodded. "I was there. I wasn't as drunk as the rest of them and Dez would not listen to anybody after a while. It was like he was hungry for more all the time." He explained.

Trish and Ally looked out on to the balcony, watching Dez flip a beef steak up in the air just as it fell to the ground.

"To look at him now, you just wouldn't see him doing stuff that." Trish observed. Ally looked at Brad again.

"Did Austin do anything else?" Ally asked shakily.  
"He got a dance with that Candy girl, but that's it. Any girls that came his way he just said '_No, I'm in love!'_" Brad told her.

"Awwwww, and you're not just saying that?" Ally gushed, looking over at her fiancé.  
Brad smiled knowingly. "No I'm not –"

"Guys, _focus._ Don't you think we should tell Carrie?" Trish asked.  
"I don't know. I mean, it's the right thing to do but I think Austin promised Dez he wouldn't tell anybody …" Ally drifted off when she noticed a figure emerge from the entryway of Trish's apartment.

It was Carrie.

Ally's heart started beeping a million miles a minute. She must've heard everything. The look on her face said it all.

"Carrie … I thought you went to pick up garlic bread with Zoe and Georgia?" Ally recalled.  
"I needed to pick up some more money …" she said quietly.

"How much did you hear?" Trish asked just as quietly.

"Just enough," Carrie replied. Ally and Trish looked at the ground. "Before I do something that is well overdue … Trish, can I ask you something?"

"Can I stay with you for a while?" she asked Trish. Trish nodded back immediately.

Brad inhaled carefully before looking at Carrie. "Carrie, you should know that Dez only did that this one time. I don't think he'll ever do it again." Brad tried to console her.

"I don't care. The fact is that he did it. I am so sick of all of this." Carrie muttered, making her way to the balcony. Brad looked at Trish and Ally who appeared slightly uncomfortable but also sad.

Carrie paused in her tracks to pick up a beer bottle sitting on the coffee table. She proceeded to open the balcony door and immediately splashed the drink in Dez's face, then pouring it over his head until it was finished.

The boys seemed horrified by her action. The door was left open so Brad, Trish and Ally could hear what was happening.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Dez demanded.

"You like drinking and partying so much, I thought I'd just help you out a little bit." Carrie said darkly, turning on her heel and entering the apartment.

"Wait, Carrie! What's the matter with you?" Dez persisted, trying to grab hold of her hand before she tossed it away.

"Strippers? Dancers? Drinking? There's a lot of stuff you're suddenly interested in doing that I have none in. I can't believe you've hidden so much from me!" Carrie yelled, as the sound of her rage bounced off all of the walls.

"Carrie, that was just Austin's bachelor party. Everybody was just having fun and letting loose, I just joined in." He defended himself, but feeling weak as the words left his mouth.

"Nobody else got a lap dance, or saw a stripper! Only you did. You've changed, Dez. You're not the same Dezzy I fell in love with. I don't know what's gotten into you." Carrie said.

"You're the one who's insisting on change, always dropping hints about marriage. Maybe I don't want that kind of change." Dez crossed his arms.

"Well, I'm not going to be a bother to you much longer. I don't even want to be around you anymore." Carrie muttered.

"What, are you gonna break up with me in front of everyone?" Dez charged.

"Yeah, I am. Just get out, Dez. I hate you!" Carrie spat, tears forming in her eyes as the rage became so real.

"Yeah? Well I hate you too!" Dez said back, barging for the apartment door.

"Good! And don't you dare come back!" Carrie said after him, as the door slammed shut behind him.

The apartment was silent for a few moments, before Ally noticed Carrie crying and falling down to the ground. Ally quickly made her way to the living room and picked her up, rubbing her shoulder.

At that moment, Georgia and Zoe came in carrying bags of groceries.

"We're back!" Zoe cried.

The two girls noticed everyone was silent, and scanned the room, recognising the immense tension in the atmosphere.

"Who died?" Georgia asked.

They all looked at her, but remained silent.

* * *

**Well, that's that. I'm sorry I made Dez sound like a bit of a dog but it's all a part of the drama. Hope you guys liked this chapter, please review xx**


	32. Chapter 32: Thin Ice

**Lots of stuff has happened recently, and I've kinda been on a four month break but haven't even been writing during this time. Well anyway, we're drawing close into the wedding festivities so I really hope all of you are still interested in this story! Enjoy xx**

* * *

"I think I need to lie down for a while … Trish, can I use your spare bedroom?" Carrie asked in between sniffles.

The atmosphere in Trish's apartment was so thick with anxiety that no one could remember how to speak. Trish just nodded and ran over to lead Carrie to the spare bedroom.

When they were gone, Daniel let out a nervous laugh.

"Wow. What just happened?" Chase asked out loud.  
"Yeah, what _did _just happen? We saw Dez run out of the building like a sick cat and he didn't even look at us." Zoe said.

"Carrie and Dez sort of just broke up …" Ally explained.  
"What? Oh my god, why?" Georgia asked concernedly.

"Well it wouldn't have happened if _someone _had kept their mouth shut like I told them to." Austin revealed, looking directly at his fiancé.

"Oh, you're not seriously pointing fingers right now, are you? When something goes wrong you can't just play the blame game so that all the weight is put on one person's shoulders." Ally warned him.

"Well who else is at fault here? I told you a secret about Dez and you ran and told Trish about it without even thinking." Austin went on.

"Trish wanted to know!" Ally defended herself, to which Trish held up her hands in the air in confusion.  
"Oh, look who's playing the blame game now!" Trish observed darkly, looking directly at Ally.

Ally panicked slightly under all the pressure and suddenly caught Brad in her peripheral vision. "It's not all what you told me that Carrie heard. Brad told us more about what happened after Dez got drunk." Ally said, looking at Brad as she spoke.

"Is that true?" Austin looked at Brad. Ally furrowed her brow and watched her fiancé continue to defend Dez.

Brad sighed. "She deserved to know, dude. Dez has been acting like a douche for a pretty long while now and maybe not being with Carrie could help him get a good look at reality." He put in. Austin sighed.

"Look it doesn't matter anymore. Now we just have to get Carrie and Dez to talk to each other so they can get back together." Austin announced.

"He doesn't deserve to be with Carrie! Why do you keep trying to help him?" Ally charged.

Austin shifted his position to be in line with his fiancé. "I made him a promise and best friends don't break promises." Austin spat, obviously referring to Ally and how she broke hers to him.

Georgia and Zoe shifted uncomfortably as they all continued to watch the would-be married couple fight.

"I was trying to protect Carrie." Ally quietly defended herself once again.  
"And I was trying to protect Dez." Austin said right back.

"It would have slipped out either way, dude. All of us were there that night and it was the biggest thing that happened." Chase intervened.

"I just feel so bad. Just because I told Ally, my best friend doesn't have his girlfriend anymore." Austin muttered under his breath.

Ally stepped forward. "You're not going to let this go, are you?" Ally asked rather bitterly.  
Austin just narrowed his eyes at her. "What do you expect? If I had promised you I wouldn't say a word about a secret you told me, and I broke it, you would eat me alive!" Austin spat.

Daniel laughed darkly. Ally immediately turned to him and Daniel seemed to instantly regret letting any noise come out of his mouth at all.

"Something funny about that, Daniel? Cause if we're pointing fingers right now, you should be blamed for Dez's behaviour that night!" Ally provoked, her eyes widening.

Daniel held his hand to his chest. "Me?" Daniel chuckled. "Look, as much as you want me to be the villain in your fairy tale romance, Ally … I only suggest. I don't force anybody to do anything. I _suggested _that Dez have a drink just like I_ suggested _Austin to have some fun. Austin didn't want to so I didn't force him. Dez wanted to so he went out on his own and did something for himself." Daniel explained.

Chase stepped in then. "Look, Daniel is right, Ally. No matter what, what Dez did was totally up to him and we didn't make him do it." He said.

"Yeah, but you didn't stop him either, did you?" Zoe put in, just as Ally looked over to her friend.

Chase looked down for a moment, and all the boys followed his move, causing a brief silence.

"That's what I thought." Zoe commented, stepping back and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Look, we didn't force them to break up. It was their own decision and that's the reality of it." Georgia stated. "Now could everybody please just make up? I feel like I'm going to hyperventilate." Georgia said, holding her hand to her chest.

No one spoke for a few moments, until Ally felt she should be the one to step forward and apologize first.

"Austin, you know I never meant to break my promise to you. But since it considered one of my best friends I didn't want to watch her be completely in the dark when I knew her boyfriend did something wrong, and she does not deserve that," Ally said, inhaling slightly before she went on.

Austin looked at her.  
"I'm sorry." Ally said quietly, looking down but obviously meaning it.

Austin sighed. "It's okay. I know he's been a douche, but he is my best friend and I wanted to protect him. I shouldn't have blamed you for what happened in front of everybody … I'm sorry too." He replied.

Ally pressed her lips together and just landed into his chest as he took her in his arms gently.

"And I'm sorry I can be a pig sometimes," Daniel said out loud, directing his apology to Ally but receiving a surround sound of 'it's okay's from everyone in the room, causing him to look around confusedly.

"What are we going to do about Dez and Carrie? I can't imagine our lives without them together." Trish said, suddenly imagining what the rest of the wedding preparation would be like without one of the couples.

"I don't think we should do anything," Ally began, releasing herself from Austin's embrace.  
"Yeah. I mean, we meddled enough in their breakup. If they don't want to talk to each other, we should let them. If they want to work things out, we should let them." Austin went on. Ally nodded.

"Not meddle? But they're our friends. How are we going to do any more wedding stuff if they are going to be fighting all the time?" Zoe reminded them.

"Then we'll just have to deal with it." Chase finished, as the rest nodded.

* * *

"Hey Austin, hey Trish, hey Ally." Dez greeted very elaborately, purposely ignoring the one person left sitting at the table – Carrie.

The original foursome and Carrie, were at a restaurant in Manhattan and awkwardly watched the newly broken up couple a few days later.

"Wow, that's exactly the kind of maturity I remember." Carrie spat, creasing her eyelids slightly.  
Dez just looked at her. "You said you didn't want to talk to me, I'm just paying you the favour." He charged back.

"That sounds like talking to me!" Carrie reminded him bitterly, jumping up from her seat and heading to the bar.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." Dez confessed, sitting down in a spare seat next to Trish, leaning back in his chair and practically pouting.

Trish looked at him. "Dez, are you okay?" she asked.

"Of course I am! Breaking up with Carrie was the best thing for me, I'm totally fine!" Dez answered a little too quickly.

Austin, Trish and Ally all leaned their heads forward to look at Dez carefully as he slumped back in his chair once again. They simply waited for Dez to come out and admit his sorrow.

"Okay fine, I'm not okay! You took it right out of me! I can't live my life without Carrie, she's the best thing that's ever happened to me and I can't believe I screwed this up so bad!" Dez wailed, snatching several napkins from the dispenser and patting his eyes.

Ally immediately got up and put her arm around Dez.

"I know Dez. But things have a way of working themselves out." Ally comforted her red-haired friend.

Austin joined in. "Yeah, and if it's meant to be, you two will be together again." He added.

Ally looked up at Austin but caught him staring right back at her. His words instantly caused her to reflect on their breakups from the past, but regardless of them they still couldn't be without each other.

"Should I go over and talk to her?" Dez asked quietly.  
Trish immediately put her hand on Dez's shoulder in refusal. "No. Right now you two are way too mad at each other. You need to wait to talk about everything calmly and maturely."

"She's the one who's being immature-!" Dez cut himself short as he watched Trish raise her eyebrow.

"Fine. But I can't be here much longer. It's just way too tense with her here." Dez said.

"Oh, don't bother. I was just on my way since I now know clearly whose side everybody is on." Carrie called from behind the four of them.

Ally immediately took her arm away from Dez and looked up at Carrie afraid.

"Carrie, we're not on anybody's side, we just want peace." Trish explained to her calmly as Ally nodded. Carrie blinked a few times before fidgeting in place.

Ally approached Carrie and put her hand on her shoulder. "I know you two just can't settle your differences, but you're going to have to find some way of being around each other, because right now, Austin and I need you both more than ever." Ally told her gently. "Our wedding is in less than two weeks."

"Ally's right. You three are our closest and longest friends, you've been there since the beginning of us and we need you so much right now." Austin added.

As Carrie looked down, leaning toward agreeing with the couple, Ally looked at Dez who appeared to have the same look on his face.

"Okay?" Ally prompted.  
"Okay." Carrie and Dez muttered in unison.

* * *

After the dinner, Austin decided he should go to keep his best friend company and went home with Dez. Ally agreed and went home by herself.

As she kicked off her shoes in the apartment, she saw her phone buzz and saw her Mum's name shining on the screen.

She quickly pressed answer and held the phone to her ear.

"Hi Mom!" – Ally called into the phone.  
"Ally, honey! How is everything going?" – Penny asked casually. Ally sighed.  
"Dez and Carrie broke up." – Ally said flatly. Penny gasped on the other end.  
"What are you talking about? What happened?" – Penny.  
"Well, I'll spare you the details but the bottom line is that Carrie was getting sick of Dez's constant needs to be rebellious and shove the thought of marriage aside … so she ended it with him." – Ally explained.  
"How's Dez taking it?" – Penny asked.  
"Not well. He broke down at dinner today … but I think they'll get back together. Dez knew from the beginning that they would always be together." – Ally said.  
"Sometimes that's not enough, honey. If Carrie doesn't like how he's changing, it's possible they will feel the repercussions later in their relationship – even if he promises that he won't hurt her." – Penny.  
"Mom? You're talking like you've been through this." – Ally pointed out.  
"Well, yes and no. But every relationship is different. You have to understand that." – Penny.  
"Yeah, I know … So what else is new?" – Ally.  
"I meant to ask if you had sent an invitation to Bella." – Penny.  
"Who?" – Ally asked, genuinely confused.  
"Bella … Paul's daughter." – Penny said quietly.  
"Mom, you never told me Paul had a daughter." – Ally said coldly.  
"Ally, you must not have been listening … or chose not to listen. I definitely told you." – Penny said sternly.  
"Don't give me that, Mom. You did _not _tell me." – Ally.  
There was a silence until Ally suddenly let out a wicked laugh.  
"So what you're telling me is I have a stepsister? And I have to invite this girl, whom I've never met, to my wedding? For Pete's sake! Is there anything else you haven't told me about this marriage?" – Ally.  
"Ally, do not speak like that to me …" – Penny said, until Ally cut her off.  
"That's really rich, Mom. You can go about your life however you want but whenever I get upset I get a disciplinary notice! I can't believe you!" – Ally.  
"Ally, please if you would just calm down …" – Penny.  
"I just can't talk with you right now, Mom. I'll see you next week when you get here." – Ally took the phone away from her ear and pressed end without waiting to hear what her mother would say.

Ally's mind spun. Not only did she have a new stepfather whom she barely knew, but now she had a stepsister too. She was finally feeling slightly settled with her mother getting married again, and now she had a whole reason to feel stressed and anxious, all before her wedding day is less than two weeks.

* * *

**I've just realised I've been writing this story for two years and I feel like they've been planning the wedding for two years! Haha well I hope you enjoyed this tense chapter loves. Thank you for reading xx **


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